Anybody feel guilty that we only paid the Indians $24. for Manhattan Island? We didn't give the Russians much-

Question

for Alaska either. Is that good business, or greed? And what we did to the Mexicans and Hawaiians for their lands?

Answer 1

you are forgetting that "we" stole the whole country from the Indians

Answer 2

Nonsense pure nonsense.
You're under the false assumption that if the Indians could have held onto Manhattan that all the wealth that is now there would belong to the Indians , Nonsense
The reason that Manhattan is what it is today is because of the fact that the Europeans had something that the Indians did not : Capital and vastly superior technology .
The Indians were paid fair market value for what Manhattan was as were the Russians for Alaska
The Mexicans have had their country for longer than the Americans have and despite that advantage in time it's still very much a Third World country and can't seem to get out of it's own way .

Answer 3

Guilty? No.

The fact that we schuystered them out of an island based on a monetary system for which they had no concept is a bit shameful, but the WE you speak of, well, I didn't do it. You didn't do it.

As far as Alaska, well, that was a fair business deal. We did not force the Russians to sell, there was no strong-arming, so what is the problem?

Times were much harder back then. People fought for lands. One side had to lose. If we had lost, would your question be reworded to ask why we were victimized?

Answer 4

The Dutch paid Indians who lived in what is now Brooklyn for Manhattan Island, which said Indians in fact did not own.

Russia wanted rid of Alaska, and was happy for the money offered.

Mexican lands were spoils of war.

Hawaii was acquired by America as a result of a coup d'etat by Americans living there.

Answer 5

It was doggone good business. And I don't feel the least bit guilty about it, as neither I nor my ancestors had anything to do with it. Let the past be in the past - the harms done to my ancestors are ancient history.

Answer 6

We did'nt have any thing do do with it. I was'nt there for the deal, so I don'nt know if the gov screwed them on the deal. Maybe something else was offered that we don't know about. History is written by people, and we know how that transpires.

Answer 7

Not really, those Indians didn't even own Manhattan anyway.

Answer 8

Well thats the Yanks for you - cheep skate

Answer 9

I don't. I woudln't have paid them anything. I would have just took it, and spit in there face. May the strong survive, and the weak get crippled under it's massive force.

Answer 10

I don't owe anybody anything