What policy directly affected the Navajo during the American expansion westward?

The Indian removal policies had a significant impact on the Navajo during the period of American westward expansion. These policies, which were implemented primarily in the 1830s, aimed to relocate Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the Eastern United States to designated areas in the West, often referred to as "Indian Territory." Although the most famous example of this is the Trail of Tears, which involved the forced relocation of the Cherokee, similar policies were applied to various tribes, including the Navajo.

The U.S. government's desire for expansion and the discovery of resources in the West prompted actions that resulted in the displacement of Native communities. For the Navajo, this manifested in several ways, including conflicts over land ownership, forced treaties, and military actions that led to the Long Walk of 1864, where thousands of Navajos were forced to march to a reservation. This trail of suffering and loss illustrates the real consequences of Indian removal policies for the Navajo people, disrupting their traditional means of living and undermining their cultural practices.

While land grant policies, cultural assimilation strategies, and sovereignty recognition also played roles in Native American history, the direct effects stemming from Indian removal policies are particularly significant in the context of the Navajo and the broader picture of