I don't mean the accidental spreading of diseases. I mean how many were killed by forced marches, preventable famines, and intentional massacres. I always hear about how we (the US) committed genocide, but I feel like the vast majority of deaths were caused by non-intentionally spread disease. State action, as well as actions performed by British on behalf of Americans would also be helpful.
I would love to know this figure as well; I've never come across any estimates in books.
Impressed by all the downvotes. Guess not all questions about history are welcome here.
I do not mean to minimize some of the deplorable acts carried out by the U.S. Army and Government, but it was hardly a "genocide." Genocide implies a systematic policy of extermination. Settler/Native conflicts never worked towards the utter destruction of the other group. The removal of the Five Civilized Tribes from the South had the highest death toll of any action taken by the U.S. Government against Native peoples (outside of outright war). The highest figure I've seen attributed to this event was something like 25,000 deaths, though it's important to remember that figures like this can be highly political and often lack good documentation. One of the most vicious massacres carried out by the Army was against the Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek. The 7th Cavalry killed some 300 Lakota men, women and children (other terrible massacres include Sand Creek, Marias, and Washita River). Additionally I should note that these shameful events were met with public outrage, not acclaim.
I want to be clear here though, mass violence in America was not limited to just whites versus indians through the Colonial Period, Civil War, and Postwar years. Early on, colonists in Acadia/Canada and New England were encouraged to bring in each others scalps for payment (during any one of the numerous wars between France and England). After the Civil War, guerilla groups like Quantrill's Raiders killed innocent families in towns and cities (there was a major one in Lawrence, Kansas). At Mountain Meadows in Utah, Mormon militiamen killed over a hundred members of the Baker–Fancher wagon train. The Dakota Uprising of 1862 saw the Sioux kill hundreds of civilians in Minnesota. Comanche raiders were universally feared by Texans, Mexicans and other Indians due to their brutality. These examples don't detract from some of the darker episodes of U.S. history, but they due serve to show that modern conceptions of race/racism/homogeneity cannot be transcribed onto the very complex history of America.
SOURCES It's a little late for me to go look up all my books. But if anyone has any genuine qualms with my post I would be happy to provide some more information.