William Morris Stewart was a lifelong politician during the nineteenth century of the United States. He was first elected into the U.S. Senate in 1864 and continued his career with the government through the 1880’s decade and into the beginning of the 1890’s. Due to Carlos Montezuma’s desire to spread his thoughts and opinions on the Indian and what direction the Indian civilization process should go in, He wrote to Senator Stewart in the beginning of the 1890’s decade expressing all of his thoughts on Indian education and what should become of it. In the response letter, Stewart voiced how he was very impressed with Montezuma for being so well educated for a Native American. He talked to Montezuma about expanding Indian education beyond simply learning English and core schooling subjects and extending to learning traits and skills that could shape a career and sustainable life. Like many reforms during the era, Stewert believed the Indian could make an honest living along whites in the United States, but it was vital to dismantle their previous identity and civilize them to the western model of living. There was only one correspondence between Montezuma and Stewart, so I think it would be helpful to have more data regarding the attitudes that Stewart had throughout his term. Was he voicing the same opinions in the early part of his political career that he did in the later half?
