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Causes Of The Trail Of Tears

Decent Essays

This first hand account by John G Burnett, a member of the 2nd Regiment, 2nd Brigade, Mounted Infantry, written in 1890 as a letter to his children which paints a descriptive picture of the brutality of the Trail of Tears (“Two Accounts of the Trail of Tears”). The Trail of Tears was a tragic event, but was unavoidable due to the circumstances of the time. Many factors preceding the Trail of Tears are catalysts for the tragic event. Dubbed the Trail of Tears, the United States Army forced the Cherokee Indians from their home and made them move west of the Mississippi. There were people who were for the Trail of Tears and those who were not. Some factors which made the Trail of Tears inevitable was the growing population of America, the attitude of Americans toward natives, and the president of the time. The American people called for military and political action against the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. President Andrew Jackson answered the call and on May 28, 1830 signed the Indian Removal Act (“Trail of Tears Timeline”). Although this act was only supposed to allow the negotiation of voluntary removal with the tribes, it made it inevitable for the Indian removal. After Jackson’s victory in 1832 all tribe leaders agreed to the act. The Indian Removal Act was a catalyst for the abolishment of the traditional rights for the Indians. The Indians had only two options: assimilate and concede to United States law or leave their homeland. The five tribes most affected

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