Based on the excerpt how did Europeans justify settling on land that belonged to indigenous peoples?

Answer 1

it is because of Christopher Columbus.

Columbus tried to go to India but he kept going a bit straight then he thought the native Americans were Indians and the europeans found out what Columbus discovered and took over their land

Answer 2

They basically said that they were the chose people by god to impose democratic beliefs into the native Americans way of life and to expand across America which is westward expansion. It's a pretty way of putting it into words huh i guess killing the native Americans sounds too ugly.

Answer 3

They didn't "explain " anything, but just took over lands, killed them, brought foreign plants, animals, and insects, discriminated against the Native Americans. Your question makes it seem as if the Europeans had tea with the Native Americans they encountered and told them they were moving in. The Europeans saw themselves as superior because they were white and Christians and met people they considered uncivilized so they rationalized they could take what they wanted. They came from lands were fences set boundaries and the society was very structured. They got off the ships and saw open forests, no fences, and took it.

Answer 4

For the same reason the Native American did not have to justify seizing the land from the people who were there before them.

Answer 5

settling on lands owned by indigenous peoples would allow merchants and traders to more easily interact with those indigenous peoples and convert them to European religions -apex