Why did we steal North Dakota from the Native Americans?

We did a lot more to them than just that…

Yes, we did… but why North Dakota? We gained nothing from that! Most of what we did was to them was out of greed to gain something… but North Dakota?

Because Americans are ignorant, greedy and immature. We want what they have, as always.

why did we steal everything else? because we could

Who’s this “we” exactly?

Manifest destiny.

North Dakota was not stolen so much as purchased from the French during the Louisiana Purchase (and part of it was ceded by the British in 1818). The British and French may have stolen it (or signed treaties for it – same thing), but we bought and won it “fair” and “square.”

Also, Manifest Destiny. It was going to happen at some point anyway, right?

I know it was more of a humorous than a straight-up question, but sometimes I just need to answer them plainly.

It was there.

Well, we took South Dakota and then decided we needed the matching pair.

@laureth The Louisiana Purchase had very vague terms. The French hadn’t explored much of the land west of the Mississippi so no one really knew what exactly was beyond the Mississippi. Jefferson was betting on it being more than the French had explored and he used the vague wording to legitimize as much western settlement as he could. If Americans had made it into the Baja Peninsula or Saskatchewan you can bet they would have been part of the Louisiana purchase.

So I guess my answer to this question would be: because they could.

The strongest guys with the most guns always take what they can. It is still happening and probably always will.

because we could.

if you could do it, you did it.

the Canadians don’t want ND back, at least the ones I’ve talked to. They also don’t want Quebec either. The Quebecians have threatened to put up a wall, and all the western provinces are saying “Go ahead.”

Actually, my people were too busy trying to get the United States Government to live up to the many treaties they negotiated and broke over the years, finally ending in the Trail of Tears, when my ancestors were forced to walk from Mississippi to Oklahoma, where my Grandfather and Mother were born.

It’s not only “Americans” who are greedy and ignorant as someone mentioned above- it’s most of mankind. Americans are not the only ones guilty of genocide to gain land. That’s how nations have always grown and failed throughout history. It doesn’t make it ok, but we’re the only ones who keep up the guilt about it. Also about the slavery. Like the US is the only country to commit these atrocities. It’s probably best if we just get over ourselves, learn from history, and be better as people.

@ubersiren GA

@fundevogel – good point. Lurve. :)

@YARNLADY – My stepmother’s people did that too.

Why did the Enron managers steal their employees pension funds?

Greed.

Same happened in the past.

For the same reason(s) that we stole the rest of north america from the native americans – because it was there, we wanted it, & we had the power to do it.