Orson Welles on American Imperialism

[Mosby]

5. Did the NAs have deeds and titles for their property?

No? Why not?

Early Americans, pretty much like everyone else in the "west" worked off of a flawed and simplistic view of science and evolution. These views had a durability that lasted until WW2 where a good part of the scientific community still accepted the idea that some people (including most NAs) were genetically inferior to western whites (eugenics). So is it no surprise that early Americans thought NAs were savages.

With that understanding in mind, it was inevitable that the relationship between the early American settlers and the NAs was going to be filled with conflict and distrust.

At the end of the day though, there really was plenty of land for everyone, and the idea that "we" stole America from NAs is basically revisionist history. This "original sin" notion about the US is used today a weapon to discount and delegitimize our nation. It's BS.