Andrew Jackson And The Indian Removal Act Of Native Americans

Andrew Jackson was a General in The United States army, and the 7th president, throughout his presidency he experienced many struggles with the Native Americans like wars and land disputes. In the 1830s he wanted to end these conflicts so he put in place the Indian Removal Act of 1830. I believe Andrew Jackson rightly and correctly removed the Indians. Even though many Indians died along the way Jackson had a reason behind what he did and should not be to blamed for their deaths.

I agree with you that Jackson he had many good accomplishments, but I do not think that Jackson's Indian Removal Act was in any way humane. This Policy forced tribes to abandon their homes and move to remote reservations. Thousands of these tribe members died on their way because they contracted disease or simply due to starvation.

During the time of the Cherokee Nation v. Georgia case, the United States was very focused on expanding, especially to the South and West. The country had already started removing and relocating Indian Tribes (Indian Removal Act). The Cherokee were a self-sustaining tribe that remodeled their government and way of life off the US. When they refused to sell their land to the country, the US called for their lands to be seized and ordered state sovereignty to control them. Including the land, gold discovered on the lands made it more appealing for the country. Angry with this treatment, the Cherokee went to the Supreme Court to get the USA to back off and let them own their lands in peace.

For years the president of the United States was seen as a man who was superior to the people they were leading until president Andrew Jackson changed that preconceived idea. Jackson was the first man that wanted to lead the country that provided a sense of equity with the common man, even though his impoverished background was far behind him and he was now a wealthy man, Jackson seemed to be a humble president, something America hadn’t seen. This new American vision led people to elect Jackson as a president in 1829, unfortunately overseeing his impulsive and arrogant attitude. By making questionable decisions during and before his time in office that encouraged brutality against Native Americans, and abusing his presidential power, Andrew Jackson proved to be an inadequate leader of the United States.

In this agreement, nearly a quarter of a century before Cherokee removal was a major issue, the inevitable removal of the tribe was already established. No Cherokee was told of this agreement nor did they approve it. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the removal of the Cherokees to the West was possible however public support was not with the government. Since the Cherokee’s had fought with the United States against the Creek Indians, the

The Trail of Tears was the result of the United States government’s treatment of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee was the last tribe to fight for their home in the Appalachian region of North and South Carolina, as well as in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. The Cherokee developed a republican government ruled by a constitution in 1820, much like that of the U.S. Despite their organization, they could not stop the settlers push for possession of the Cherokee territory, especially when gold was discovered on their lands in Georgia. To keep the land in their own hands, the Cherokee passed a law that made any sale of Cherokee lands punishable by death. The state of Georgia then challenged the Cherokee assembly and declared their rule null and

The Cherokee tribe have lived what is now Northern Georgia for more than one hundred years. So it is claimed to be there land and therefore they have the right to stay and turn down the offer. Another argument is that the Cherokee had against the Americans is that there family, homes, and everything they know would have been taken away from them. Although the Americans have gave them fortune such as 70,000 square miles of land and millions of dollars if they leave. The Cherokee wasn’t aware of what awaits them if they did move to the new land.

The Cherokee basically needed to start over. Between 85 different tribes there was about 250,000 Cherokees living between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The government could not afford to police such a huge reign so they decided to make peace with the Indians. As long as they became civilized. George Washington said “The Indians

The Indian Removal Act, inspired by Andrew Jackson; the 7th president of the US and the enhanced ambition for American settlers to find more land in the southwestern regions of North America. The Indian Removal Act enabled Jackson the power of negotiating removal treaties with Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. Among these tribes were: Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaws and Seminoles. Very few authenticated traits were signed. The Choctaws were the only tribe to agree without any issues. All other attempts resulted in War and blood shed for both white settlers and Indians. The conflict with the U.S. and Indians lasted up until 1837. In 1838 & 1839 Jackson forced the relocation of the remaining Cherokee Indians;

The Cherokee indians were being forced out of the land that rightfully belonged to them. During the indian removal act of 1830 the Cherokee indians were being forced off their land that was rightfully theirs for natural resources,gold, and land that the United States of America said that belonged to them(video). When gold was discovered in Georgia,the Cherokee indians were in danger of being harmed by the whites that were in their land. Andrew Jackson stated,”It would incalculably strengthen the southwestern frontier and render adjacent states to repel future invasions. ”(book 355)

In 1831, the Cherokee nation went to court against the state of Georgia. They were disputing the state’s attempt to hold jurisdiction over their territory. Unfortunately, because they are not under the laws of the constitution, the Indian’s right to court was denied. It was not until 1835 that the Cherokee finally agreed to sign the treaty, giving up their Georgia land for that of Oklahoma.

Some may wonder why the Cherokee did not fight for their land. Historians suggest that the Cherokee knew America was a more powerful force. They were also a peaceful tribe that didn’t wish to start a war, so they instead chose to go and find new land. Based on their belief system they valued peace, not violence. This made the Cherokee distinctive to other tribes involved in the Trail of Tears, because they peacefully left while the other tribes planned to fight until they realized they had a small chance of winning a battle against Jackson and America.

The Cherokee people were forced out of their land because of the settler’s greed for everything and anything the land had to offer. Many Cherokee even embraced the “civilization program,” abandoning their own beliefs so that they may be accepted by white settlers. Unfortunately for the Cherokee though, the settlers would never accept them as an equal citizen. A quote from historian Richard White says it very well, “The Cherokee are probably the most tragic instance of what could have succeeded in American Indian policy and didn’t. All these things that Americans would proudly see as the hallmarks of civilization are going to the West by Indian people. They do everything they were asked except one thing. What the Cherokees ultimately

The seventh president of the United States; Andrew Jackson, was not only notorious for his success as a general but also for his actions as president. The Removal Policy is still discussed today because of the question of whether or not the removal of Native Americans benefited them or not. The intent of Jackson's actions is controversial because it is not clear if he acted in the best interest of Native Americans or for white settlers. Robert Remini's writing Andrew Jackson and his Indian Wars he concludes that Jackson's removal act was the only way to protect the Native Americans from conflict with impeding settlers. Albert Cave writes in Abuse of Power: Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal act of 1830, that Jackson broke promises

The United States were looking to advance the nation interests by expanding its land territory. For America to thrive, more land would be needed for the future existence of the country. However, the Cherokee, an Native American tribe owned land across the Southeastern region of North America. In previous years there were treaties between the government and the Cherokee people, which recognized them as a sovereign nation. The Cherokee occupied land in Georgia, which many in the state requested the federal government to abandon the agreement and remove the Native Americans from the land. The state of Georgia believed the Cherokee impeded upon the future expansion and the use of resources