As you read in this lesson, members of the tribes most affected by the Indian Removal Act had already begun assimilating into the largely European culture that characterized the United States. The photograph below, taken in 1898, depicts the members of the Oklahoma Senate of the Choctaw Nation. The Senate could be any group of lawmakers of the era—they do not seem exotic or "different" in the least from other Americans.

Throughout the 19th century, though, many Americans were fascinated by Native American life—or at least what they imagined as Native American life. Artists and writers were among the most interested in the subject, and there are many artifacts from the 1800s depicting members of the Five Civilized Tribes. Few artists actually lived or traveled among Indians, though, so their paintings and illustrations were often based purely on imagination or on stories they had read.

All of the works of art shown on the slides below were created between 1800 and 1870. As you study each painting, ask yourself what the artwork suggests about how Americans perceived indigenous, or native, peoples.

Choctaw Village, Francois Benard Ball-play of the Choctaw—Ball Up, George Catlin Seminole Child with Bittern, William Holbrook Beard Benjamin Hawkins and the Creek Indians, Artist Unknown

Choose one painting to examine more closely. Besides noting the details of the painting, consider what the painting's subject, style, and details suggest about European Americans' perceptions of the "Five Civilized Tribes" and of Native Americans more generally. Then click the Activity button below, and answer the questions on the Representing Native America worksheet. Submit the worksheet to your teacher when you are finished.

Your work on this assignment will be evaluated using the rubric below.