Indian Removal Dbq

It has been 186 years since the Indian Removal Act was passed by Congress during Andrew Jackson’s presidency. The way other people view Native Americans, particularly the Choctaws and Chickasaws, has changed drastically over time; but how has that changed the way Native Americans view themselves. I plan to explore what it meant to be Native American at the time of Indian Removal and compare it to what it is believed to mean to be Native American today. I plan to look at the cultural attitude that was in place at the time of removal and how the Native Americans reacted and compare it to modern day opinion.

Indian Removal (Zinn Chapter 7) Once the white men decided that they wanted lands belonging to the Native Americans (Indians), the United States Government did everything in its power to help the white men acquire Indian land. The US Government did everything from turning a blind eye to passing legislature requiring the Indians to give up their land (see Indian Removal Bill of 1828). Aided by his bias against the Indians, General Jackson set the Indian removal into effect in the war of 1812 when he battled the great Tecumseh and conquered him. Then General, later to become President, Jackson began the later Indian Removal movement when he conquered Tecumseh¹s allied Indian nation and began distributing

In the history of America, the people have always had a mixed opinions or views with certain presidents on certain bills. Some presidents brought change, while others didn't which shows why not all presidents have a bill with their face on it. But the people have never felt more mixed about a president on a bill until Andrew Jackson took the 20. While Andrew Jackson has made a lot of positive gains in America there is still a lot of negative things and I think he shouldn't be on the bill at all. He has done way more harm than good such as he was still a murderer and a traitor symbol on America because of events he took in such as him making South Carolina stay in the union and pay taxes, him vetoing the pet banks, and he signed for the Trail of Tears.

In the years leading up to the Indian Removal Act, which was the initial cause of the Trail of Tears, the United States was in a shift. The country was seeing an unrivaled influx of European settlers looking for careers and land. This caused population to skyrocket, in fact in the years 1790-1840, the United States saw a 350% increase in population. In other words, the need for fertile land and viable property was high. At the same time, attempts at assimilation of Indians into American society were proving to be futile. Americans saw the Indians as “noble savages”, who were uncivilized but able to be fit for society if they were converted to Christianity and adopted Anglo-European culture and behavior. With the growing need for land and the rise in tension between Natives and fearful white settlers, something needed to be done in the eyes of the American people. These two things combined is what really set up the foreground for what would become the Indian Removal Act. President Andrew Jackson, in

Andrew Jackson, The United States seventh president, was possibly one of the worst human beings to be president and treated the Native Indians horribly. He, was a bully and used his position to get acts and petitions like the Indian Removal Act passed, to help push Native Indians around so he could get his own way. The Indian Removal Act in and of itself seemingly doesn’t contain that much power, however it was all the power Jackson needed. The circumstances of Jackson’s character and the debates surrounding the Act also lend and interesting lens to examine what Jackson intentions were. When looking at Jackson and how he managed to relocate the Native it becomes substantially more integral to examine all the documents with a wide scope to see how he even managed the relocation of Natives.

The changing nation reflected a growing sense of national pride and identity by introducing many different acts and rights. After the War of 1812, there was a growing surge of nationalism all throughout the United States. This feeling of happiness originated from the United States recent victory of the War. The Era of Good Feelings, The Age of Jackson, and changing the states’ rights and the economy were all huge factors in the changing nation, and it all reflected from the nation's previous victory. With the new found sense of nationalism and pride, the government took advantage of the states’ and the people. They did this by putting tariffs on imported goods, separating the natives from their homeland, and setting many other

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson addressed Congress stating two Native tribes had accepted the terms of the Indian Removal Act. Jackson said he hoped the two tribes consent would set an example for the other tribes to leave because he thought leaving was an advantage for them. He explained, “It puts an end to all possible danger of collision between the authorities of the General and State governments on account of the Indians.” The two different civilizations didn’t agree, which lead to violent conflicts that lasted centuries. For thirty years, the United States had tried to come to find a way to get the two civilizations reach an agreement. The Indian Removal Act became the United States government’s solution that ended the violent encounters. This Act removed the Natives from northern Tennessee, southern Louisiana, western Alabama and the state of Mississippi, which helped the United

While the government may have been thinking for the betterment of their people, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was not a justified action. The settlers bullied and attacked the original inhabitants, the Indians, into giving up their land. Perhaps to the government this may have seemed justified considering it was beneficial to them, but they essentially stole land that was not theirs to take. In an attempt to feign compassion for these original inhabitants, President Andrew Jackson states in his 1829 case to congress that this Act will help the Indians, “…to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community” (Jackson, First Annual Message to Congress, 2).

Over the course of United States history, every president has changed the country in many ways. Some have changed it for the good of the country, and some have changed it for the worse. However, some have changed it in ways disputed whether they are for the betterment of this great nation. One of these many presidents in the infamous Andrew Jackson. During his time in office, he caused many changes. Some even believed that he was abusing his executive power in ways that a king might, they nicknamed him “King Andrew.”

America’s history is rich and full of countless heroes, scandals, and incredible stories. Perhaps one of the most interesting of those stories is that of Andrew Jackson’s. To some, he was a hero, but to others, he was their worst enemy. Being raised in the mountains of the Carolinas, he became the first “backcountry president” of the United States (Wilentz, 13). His fame, though, began years before his presidency.

In essence, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 is most certainly an act of government-supported racism. Denouncing Native Americans as inferior to white Americans, dismissing the unconstitutionality of the Indian Removal Act, deliberately changing the ideologies valued by the Natives, and imposing upon their free will illustrates the social prejudice harbored towards the Native American people, and epitomizes the definition of racism. Claiming to ensure the prolonging of the Native people, Jackson was determined to reclaim the land believed to be rightfully America’s, regardless of whether or not it ended in a “happy consummation” as he expressed the fatal consequences for the refusal of his policy.

Moreover, Jackson’s leadership in the army was why he was able to become the seventh President of the U.S. “In August 30, 1813 a faction of the Creek Indian Nation called the Red Sticks under Red Eagle, slew nearly 250 Alabama settlers in a brutal manner, resulting in the calling out of two 2,500 man forces, one under Jackson to punish and stop the Indians” (“Andrew Jackson 1767-1845 A brief biography”). Jackson got his arm shattered by a shoot-out, yet he didn’t give up and fired right back. Due to his bravery, the rebellion was stopped, which could have threatened on spreading more in the United States (“Andrew Jackson 1767-1845 A brief biography”).Jackson’s leadership was recognized by Madison’s administration as a Major General

Andrew Jackson is perceived as one of the most influential figures in U.S history and may as well be renowned for the controversy he has laid through his impacts during his presidency. Despite the continuous dispute of how we should perceive this figure, it is undeniable that he has left a permanent imprint upon American politics, and that his support of individual liberty and his appearance as a hero of the people had captured the trust of many American citizens. His elements of a hero does not halter there, as he continues to influence America politically, economically and territorially throughout numerous events in U.S history.

At the start of the Revolution in 1776 many of the patriots view towards the Indians was that of Thomas Jefferson’s, the paternalistic view. That the Indians were “noble savages, “uncivilized in their present state but if they would adapt to ways of the white society they could be redeemed. While others felt that they should be treated as conquered people because some of the tribes helped the British in the War, one of which was the Mohawks. That was one the main reason why most of the tribes choose to stay out of the war. At this point in time the patriots felt that they were merely trying to provide for their families and start a new life in the new world. But to the Indians they felt that the patriots were trying to push them off their lands, threatening their families and their way of life. And over time these views towards each other change with each push westward on the part of the patriots and each conflict of resistance on the part of the Indians. As the new nation grew the need for more land became evident, as a way of trying to bring resolve the government signed treaties with the tribes. The treaties promised them protection of the lands they had held if they ceded certain lands. But when it came right down to it treaty after treaty was broken, which lead to more and more distrust by the Indians. As time passed the views of Indians changed, in the early 1800’s whites viewed Indians as “savages” that should be removed from the valuable land that the

Robert V. Remini argues that Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 was socially motivated by humanitarian impulses, and that Jackson’s actions where driven by the desire to save the culture and populace of the Native