Most Americans in the nineteenth century did not appreciate or understand their Indian neighbors. The Native American way of life seemed alien and uncivilized compared to American society, which was experiencing unprecedented revolutions in technology and engineering. For this reason, the myth began to develop in the minds of the American people that the Indian presence in the West was unacceptable and that the American government had to act to solve the problem of the “uncivilized” Indians. Over time, two conflicting opinions developed regarding the form the proposed government intervention should take. Some thought that Native Americans were pitiful, uncultured people who should be trained to assimilate and succeed in the modern world. Others were convinced that the Indians were a violent, subhuman race that should be exterminated to facilitate westward expansion. These opposing views were expressed not only in politics, but also in paintings. Several nineteenth-century painters attempted to capture different aspects of this debate in their art, but regardless of the painters' opinions, all of these paintings were based on the myth of the uncivilized Indian. In 1863, Albert Bierstadt completed The Rocky Mountains, Lander Peak painting, a painting that fantasizes about the Rocky Mountains and portrays the Indians as “noble savages” (The Humanities pages 1047-1048). In the foreground of the painting is a green meadow populated by Native Americans. Some Indians are shown sitting, while others are gathered around the spoils of a recent hunt. Beyond the camp is a glassy lake, fed by a frothy waterfall from the mountains. The land then gradually rises into forested ridges and sunny cliffs, finally culminating... midway down the paper... fully within the confines of that culture for centuries before Europeans arrived on the American continent. Although Americans had different opinions about how the government should handle the Native American tribes, the myth accepted by most people was that the Indians were uncivilized and wrong in their way of life. Americans also believed that the government had to take action, either by completely erasing the Indians or integrating them into society. Ultimately, both well-intentioned policies and acts of violence proved devastating to Native people. Many Indian tribes were exterminated or relocated in horrific ways (The Humanities pages 1050-1051). As American nationalism increased throughout the 19th century, early American culture was swept away because it was deemed an obstacle to progress and the advancement of civilization.