In the 1800s, the US established forts west of the Mississippi River from Louisiana to Minnesota to establish peace among warring American Indian tribes and to __________.

The forts served both as military posts and as a visible presence of federal authority in the West. Along with trying to keep peace among American Indian tribes, they reassured white settlers that the frontier was under control and safe for settlement. The best answer is C, “reassure white American settlers that the frontier was safe and peaceful.”

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