Progymnasmata: Confirmation and Refutation

Confirmation
Assertion:
The United States was justified in re-locating the Native Americans during the Manifest Destiny.
Ecomium:
The United States government held the well-being of the nation and the American people as a high priority. Expansion of the United States was absolutely necessary in growing a stronger nation for the great people of the country. The decision to expand westward was based on sound political ideologies looking to benefit the American people.
Exposition of the Situation:
When Napoleon Bonaparte sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803, exploration by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark of the territory informed the American government of the vast land to the west. By the 1840s, expansion to the west was well under way and many U.S. citizens spoke of a “manifest destiny” to occupy the land of North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, 849). The expansion to the west forced many indigenous people out of their land. The people of the United States were the “chosen people” whose destiny was within the expansion of the west (www.u-s-history.com).
Certainty:
Territorial expansion is a natural process of developing nations. The United States’ decision to expand westward and further national growth was absolutely necessary to become the prosperous nation of today.
Credibility:
The land west of the Mississippi River was previously owned by France. The United States conducted a legal transaction and purchased the land from France. By law, this territory belongs to the United States. Many nations before the United States gained control of land occupied by indigenous people in order to expand their national territory. The role of the president is to make decisions that progress the well-being of his constituents and by making the decision to expand, the well-being of the American people in terms of prosperity benefited greatly.
Possibility:
It is true that many indigenous people were uprooted from their land. It is possible that the Americans at this time were not the “chosen people” as they believed.
Consistency:
The decision to expand westward was consistent with policies of colonialism and previous acts of expansion in developing countries.
Propriety:
The government’s decision to expand was appropriate because the United States was growing rapidly and expansion was more than necessary to grow as a prosperous nation.
Convenience:
The expansion was convenient because the land had been purchased from France and explored by Lewis and Clark. Enough time elapsed from the initial purchase and exploration to decide on what could be done with the land.

Refutation
False Assertion to be Refuted:
The United States was not justified in re-locating the Native Americans during Manifest Destiny.
Exposition of the Situation:
When Napoleon Bonaparte sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803, exploration by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark of the territory informed the American government of the vast land to the west. By the 1840s, expansion to the west was well under way and many U.S. citizens spoke of a “manifest destiny” to occupy the land of North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, 849). The expansion to the west forced many indigenous people out of their land. The people of the United States were the “chosen people” whose destiny was within the expansion of the west (www.u-s-history.com).
Uncertainty:
It is not certain that the American people were in fact the “chosen people.” It is also not certain that the American people have the right to force the indigenous population out of the land they inhabited for years.
Incredibility:
The United States stands for freedom and equality. It is hard to believe that these inherent rights did not apply to the natives.
Impossibility:
It is impossible to apologize enough to the Native Americans for destroying their lives and forcing them to leave their land. No amount of reservations and government gifts can make up for the loss their people suffered.
Lack of Consistency:
The United States’ claim to stand for freedom of oppression and equality is inconsistent to their treatment and forced removal of Native Americans during this time period.
Impropriety:
Removing Native Americans from their homeland was beyond inappropriate because they established their lives on this land years before the British came to America. If the roles were reversed, the people of the United States would feel oppressed because it is unethical and immoral to uproot people from their home just because the stronger nation wants the land.
Inconvenience:
The expansion was inconvenient for the Native American people because it forced them out of their homes and away from their sacred land.