Below is a collection of quotes, mostly from politicians and newspapers, calling for or describing the genocide of Native Americans, from 1832 to 1891. That word didn’t evolve until the Holocaust. In the 1800s, the word was simply “extermination.”

On a timeline of US history, this collection of quotes follows an era that was dominated by calls for mass deportation and ethnic cleansing, most notably from Thomas Jefferson as early as the 1700s. This policy was codified in the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Just two years later, beginning with William Clark (of the Lewis & Clark Expedition), white policy began sliding down the slippery slope, with calls for “extermination.”

White Americans sometimes hesitate to use the word genocide with regard to Native Americans. Natives don’t hesitate. But our memories are better. We know our history well. No, we didn’t die mostly from diseases. When plagues did spread, it was nearly always during times of war and ethnic cleansing. These things were entwined.

In chronological order:

“… we are now involved with blood thirsty and ferocious savages. The faithless and treacherous character of those at the head of our Indian enemies appears now to be so well known… a War of Extermination should be waged against them.” – William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1832, letter to Secretary of War Lewis Cass

 “[They] deserve to be exterminated as savage and pernicious beasts.” – Chief Justice John Catron, Tennessee Supreme Court, 1835, ruling in State v. Foreman

“The country can be rid of them only by exterminating them.” – General Thomas S. Jesup, Florida, 1836

“If the wild cannibals of the woods will not desist from their massacres, if they will continue to war upon us with the ferocity of tigers and hyenas, it is time that we should retaliate their warfare. Not in the murder of their women and children, but in the prosecution of an exterminating war upon their warriors; which will admit of no compromise and have no termination except in their total extinction or total expulsion.” – President Mirabeau Lamar, Republic of Texas, 1838

“They will continue to rob and murder our citizens until they are exterminated.” – Colonel George McGill, New Mexico, 1849

“The shrieks of the slaughtered victims died away, the roar of muskets that ceased, and stretched lifeless upon the sod of their native valley were the bleeding bodies of these Indians — nor sex, nor age was spared; it was the order of extermination fearfully obeyed.”  – Daily Alta California, 1850

“The savage Indians… must be exterminated.” – Governor James Calhoun, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1851

“That a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct, must be expected.” – Governor Peter Burnett, Annual Message to the Legislature, California, 1851

“[The Indians] will be exterminated before the onward march of the white man. The interest of the white man demands their extinction.” – US Senator John Weller, California, 1852

“[The fight against the Indians should] go on towards extermination, as there is no safety in trusting such treacherous devils anywhere.” – Yreka Herald, 1854

“[The white settlers] assembled in armed bodies with the avowed purpose of ‘exterminating’ this miserable and inoffending people.” – Assistant Surgeon F. Sorrel, acting commander of Fort Jones, California, 1855

“A war of extermination has been declared against the Cascouse Creek, Bear River, Eel River and other neighboring Indians. Some twenty to thirty armed men are said to have been busily occupied during several months past in killing Indians South and East of the Mattole.” – J. Ross Browne, Treasury Department, San Francisco, California, 1858

“The initial steps have been taken, and it is safe to assert that the extinction of the tribes who have been to settlers such a cause of dread and loss, will be the result.” – Shasta Herald, 1861

“[The white settlers] are determined to drive off or exterminate the Indians.” – Marysville Appeal, 1862

“Exterminate or banish!” – white settlers, regarding the Santee Dakota, Minnesota, 1863

“It is becoming evident that extermination of the red devils will have to be resorted to before the people… will be safe.” – Red Bluff Independent, 1863

“We feel convinced that there is but one course to be pursued towards these treacherous red skins. We have long since thought they should be collected together and removed to some remote district of country, away from settlements, or to an island in the sea…” – Mendocino Herald, 1864

[The use of the word “redskins” is highly correlated with this era. See this post for a collection of all the “redskin” quotes I could find.]

“Self preservation demands decisive action, and the only way to secure it is through a few months of active extermination against the red devils.” – Rocky Mountain News, 1864

“Exterminate them!  Exterminate them!  Exterminate them!” – crowd at the Denver Opera House, 1865

“Let the Navajos know that large parties of citizens are in pursuit of the Navajos who would not come in from their old country. Many of the latter have already been killed. Their crops will be destroyed and they will be exterminated unless they come in.” – General James H. Carleton, New Mexico, 1865

“They ought to be all killed off. There is no better way to get rid of them.” – Texas settler, 1866

“It is a mercy to the red devils to exterminate them, and a saving of many white lives. Treaties are played out—there is only one kind of treaty that is effective—cold lead.” – Chico Courant, 1866

“We must act with vindictive earnestness against the Sioux, even to their extermination, men, women, and children.” – letter from General William Sherman to President Ulysses Grant, 1866

“The Pioneer has before declared that our only safety depends upon the total extermination of the Indians. Having wronged them for centuries, we had better, in order to protect our civilization, follow it up by one more wrong and wipe these untamed and untamable creatures from the face of the earth.” – L. Frank Baum in the Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer, 1891