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Dbq Indian Removal Act

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“The most destructive law” to the American Indians which barely passed May 28, 1830 was known as the Indian Removal Act, and later was known as the Trail of Tears. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson brought up to Congress that all American Indians “be encouraged to move voluntarily from their lands east of the Mississippi River.” For some time, many American Indians began their new venture and voluntarily started to move. President James Monroe also agreed with Thomas Jeffersons’ ideas and convinced Congress to move on with the process. Thomas Jefferson and President James Monroe both believed “that the Indians could survive only if removed to the east, where they could have time to be civilized.” Thomas Jefferson himself defended the …show more content…

These tribes included Apalachicolas who had separated from the Creeks and the Seminoles. Several other smaller tribes including the Sauks, Foxes, Kaskaskias, Peorias, Potawatomis, Miamis, Senecas, Wyandots, Shawnees, and Chippawas and many more. There were many severe consequences from moving most of the population across the Mississippi River. Deaths and armed resistance cause for a decline in the tribal population. Enforced encampments with unsanitary conditions, and epidemics caused from influenza, cholera, and small …show more content…

During 1835 until 1842 The Second Seminole War occurred and The Third Seminole War between 1855 until 1858. Seminoles were a “confederacy of multiple clans” which consisted tribes of Lower Creek, Oconee, Yuchi, Alabama, Choctaw, and Shawnee who lived in southern Georgia and northern Florida. After the First Seminole War the Georgia-Florida frontier was not peaceful. Seminole men and women were attempted to be relocated but were resistant. In December of 1835 Maroons and Seminoles started an attack in North Central Florida against United State troops which ended up killing more than 100 of their soldiers. Moving back and forth between Florida and Southern Georgia the Seminoles were able to confuse their enemies. Along the way they were able to set up refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp. In August of 1836 Ware County militia Commander Thomas Hilliard said to his superiors “the Seminoles go concealed as much as possible, and are committing depredations continually, robbing our corn fields and killing our stock.” November of 1838 Georgia Governor George R. Gilmer had said that General Charles Rinaldo Floyd “would destroy or drive from the state the savage enemy.” In November of 1838 Floyd and 300 officers and privates waited at the southeastern edge of the Okefenokee Swamp before entering a week later. After only seeing a few Seminole and found an Island that “housed 150 Seminole.” After, the Second

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