Thomas Jefferson believed American Indians were primitive people
A) who had been greatly mistreated by white Americans.
B) who might become civilized through exposure to white culture.
C) who should be completely separated from white society.
D) with no redemptive qualities.
E) who nevertheless had an education system worth emulating.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson believed that American Indians were primitive people but he also believed that they might become civilized through exposure to white culture. He proposed an assimilation policy where indigenous peoples would be taught English and European farming methods in order to become more like white Americans.

Thomas Jefferson Believed American Indians Were Primitive People