Describe the immigration of the Native American.

First, it's important to keep in mind that Native peoples aren't a monolithic group; rather, they are a collection of hundreds of diverse tribes, bands, and nations.

The word "immigration" means that a person or group moved from one country to another to establish a home. In light of that definition, it wouldn't be appropriate to say that Native peoples immigrated because they were living on the continent long before Europeans arrived. There are, however,...

First, it's important to keep in mind that Native peoples aren't a monolithic group; rather, they are a collection of hundreds of diverse tribes, bands, and nations.

The word "immigration" means that a person or group moved from one country to another to establish a home. In light of that definition, it wouldn't be appropriate to say that Native peoples immigrated because they were living on the continent long before Europeans arrived. There are, however, many Native tribes who once lived in a different part of the country but were relocated due to the territorial expansion of the United States. In that case, these groups were migrating, but not immigrating.

Throughout the 19th century, the US government made strong efforts to expand the territory that they held. More often than not, they tried to acquire Native land legally from the Native peoples who occupied it, but most weren't interested in selling their land or moving. In that case, government agents would bribe tribe members or threaten them until they gave up the land and relocated. This type of migration would be considered forced migration because the tribe was forced to leave their land and move to another part of the country.

In many cases, the government offered to exchange tribal land for land in the western territory, which is why the Native populations along the east coast are considerably smaller than those in the Midwest and West. For example, a tribe might be manipulated or forced to exchange their land in Georgia for unfamiliar land in Kansas. Sometimes the government would provide some small assistance in helping them relocate, but they were generally left on their own to make the journey.