Whilst it is true that during the Boar War the British had concentration camps, it was not the first time they had been used. The term “concentration camp” actually comes from the Spanish word reconcentrados (reconcentration). And was first used to describe camps set up by the Spanish during the 10 Years War (1868-78), however to see the first example of this sort of camp we have to look towards – where else?- America! In the 1830's these camps were set up to detain Native Americans.
The following is an extract from the website http://www.issuesandalibis.org/ -
President Andrew Jackson finished what the Puritans had begun 200 years before. In 1830, Congress, urged on by "Old Hickory," passed the "Indian Removal Act" which gave the federal government the power to relocate any Native Americans in the east to territory that was west of the Mississippi River. Though the Native Americans were to be compensated, this was rarely done fairly and in some cases led to the further destruction of many of the already diminishing numbers of most of the eastern tribes.
The Cherokee Nation was allocated land in Georgia as a result of the 1791 treaty with the U.S. Government. In 1828, not only did whites desire that land for settlement purposes but also for newly discovered gold. Georgia tried to reclaim this land in 1830, but the Cherokee protested and took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court decided in favor of the Cherokee, however, the President and Congress forced the Native Americans to give up their land and in 1838 called in federal troops in to "escort" approximately 15,000 Cherokee people to their new home in the "Indian Territory." On the way, approx. 6,000 of the Cherokee people died. This event, known to the Cherokee as "The Trail Where They Cried," is better known as the "Trail of Tears."
That's a reason to be proud then!
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