Explanation:
The construction of Indigenous Americans as "savages" through laws and social representation was critical for the creation of America due to several interconnected reasons:
1. **Justification for Colonization**: Portraying Indigenous peoples as "savages" served to justify European colonization and expansion into their territories. This narrative painted Indigenous communities as uncivilized and in need of European intervention and control for their own "improvement" and the progress of humanity.
2. **Legal and Political Control**: By categorizing Indigenous Americans as "savages," European colonizers and later American authorities could justify denying them land rights, sovereignty, and basic human rights. This allowed for the implementation of policies such as forced removals, reservations, and assimilation programs which were aimed at erasing Indigenous cultures and identities.
3. **Economic Exploitation**: Labeling Indigenous peoples as "savages" facilitated economic exploitation of their lands and resources. It justified the seizure of valuable territories for agriculture, mining, and settlement without regard for existing Indigenous societies and their rights.
4. **Cultural Hegemony**: Constructing Indigenous Americans as "savages" reinforced European cultural superiority and justified the imposition of European norms, values, and religions onto Indigenous societies. This contributed to the erasure of Indigenous languages, traditions, and practices, further marginalizing Indigenous communities.
5. **Nation-Building Myth**: The myth of Indigenous Americans as "savages" was woven into the narrative of American nation-building, creating a historical justification for the displacement and subjugation of Native peoples in the broader narrative of American progress and Manifest Destiny.
Overall, the construction of Indigenous Americans as "savages" was a deliberate and strategic effort to legitimize colonialism, dispossession, and cultural domination by European powers and later the United States. It played a crucial role in shaping the legal, social, and political landscape of America, laying the foundation for centuries of systemic discrimination and injustice against Indigenous peoples.
