The "Indian Question"

The conquest of the American Indians by the European colonists and later by the U.S. federal government is a touchy subject in the overly politically correct atmosphere of the Information Age. But, as an objective thinker, I must raise a single question: Understanding the mindset of the Western ruling class (including U.S. elites from 1776-1900) from 1400-1900, how was conquest not the most rational option from their standpoint? Of course, the decision to systematically exterminate an entire hemisphere's inhabitants is immoral by modern social standards - and is widely regarded as an act that should never have happened - but what were the ruling elite's priorities in the early Modern Era? Bullion, power, expansion, and Christian evangelism were the talk of the day. There was no "cultural conscience" or sense of political correctness... or even a basic understanding of common human rights. Yes, this statement can be deemed an apoligist's stance, but these facts cannot be ignored. It was not a common social practice in the early Modern Era to appreciate cultures other than one's own, to actively ensure the enforcement of basic human rights, or question the pursuit of national interest. The Europeans and U.S. citizens realized that the American Indians had no desire to conform to European standards of living and Christianity, and therefore they were declared an obstacle to expansion and developement of the Western hemisphere. So, in the most rational and apathetic mindset possible, extermination and forced relocation were implemented by the ruling elite to solve the "Indian Question."