Indian Removal Act 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.

What would you do if someone came to your home unexpectedly, and told you that you had to move whether you want to or not? That was the case for some Native Americans during the time of the Indian Removal Act. This act basically says that the Native Americans would be granted land, in exchange for their home territory, but many Native Americans disagreed with this act. The Indian Removal act that took place in 1830 was not justified, because the Cherokee tribe had to move even though the majority of them haven’t agreed to move, the Cherokee tribe helped the United States during the war of 1812, and the Americans treated the Native Americans unfair.

The Indian Removal act of 1830 was passed by President Jackson. President Jackson wanted the Natives land so he made false treaties with them in order to speed up the process of taking their land. Some of the Natives agreed to go to Indian territory on their own but, the majority of them didn’t like the idea of leaving their home. Many of the natives fought and raided the settlers many of the natives tried to make peace with the white men. Soon many of the Natives grew weary and finally decided to cede their land and move to Indian Territory. Still many Natives had to be forced to make the journey. Many of the natives didn’t survive the journey. The Five Tribes that were removed were the Choctaw,Creek,Chickasaw,Cherokee, and the Seminole.

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

Historically, the people of the United States and the Native tribes couldn’t live together, they fought because the two sides competed for superiority. The United States Government sought to put an end to the violent clashes with the American people and the Natives tribes. A resolution was the Indian Removal Act, with this, the United States became safer, wealthier, and stronger; And the Natives, which they saw as inferior, would leave. This Act wasn’t easy for the Native tribes, they left the land their ancestors had built them, and experienced a long road ahead of them to rebuild again.

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).

“I fought through the civil war and have seen men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands, but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew”, remarked a Georgia soldier who had participated in the removal of Indian Natives during the mid-1800’s. As a result of the Indian Removal Act, Indian natives have been perceived as mistreated and cheated throughout history. The Indian Removal Act was passed during the presidency of Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. This act granted authorization to the president to exchange unsettled lands west of Mississippi for Indian lands residing in state borders. Initially, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was passed to expand the Southern United State for farmland and to aid the government in furthering our development as a nation. With this plan in mind, the government provided money to establish districts in the west of the Mississippi River for the Indian natives, ensured trade and exchange in those districts, allowed Native Indian tribes to be compensated for the cost of their removal and the improvements of their homesteads, and also pay one years’ worth subsistence to those Native Indians who relocated to the west.

Nonetheless, Jackson did not follow up with this promise. Instead, he had decided to deprive the Natives of their promised and secured land. Hence, Jackson was not justified in his Indian Removal Act because the Natives had a clear right to their land that was established with the forefathers of the nation. To add on, the Natives were civilized; however, Jackson had interpreted them as uncivilized which is stated in Document A, also known as “Andrew Jackson-First Annual Message,” dated December 8, 1829. In Jackson’s message, he states, “By this means they have not only been kept in a wandering state, but been led to look upon us as unjust and indifferent to their fate.” This quote conveys the idea that the Natives were “wanderers” and did not have an established community or place to live. Nonetheless, the Natives were farmers which opposes Jackson’s statement, thus proving that it is false. In addition, Jackson states, “It has long been the policy of Government to introduce among them the arts of civilization, in hope of gradually reclaiming them from a wandering life. This policy has, however, been coupled with another wholly [completely] incompatible with its success.” In this quote Jackson states how the government tried to civilize the tribes, but it ended in a failure to do so. However, Jackson also states, “…that their attempts to establish an independent government would to be countenanced [approved] by…” This quote reveals how

This investigation will examine the question: Was the Indian Removal Act Justified? The idea of the Indian Removal Act began in 1814, and it ended in 1858 by being repealed, while our seventh president, Andrew Jackson, was condoning and leading it. In 1828, he gained a lot of power by becoming president. The Indian Removal Act continued twenty-two years after Jackson finished his two terms of presidency in 1838.

The Indian Removal Act was established to move Native Americans off of American territory who were interfering with US expansion. However because of this act, both the states and the Indians were able to benefit, which is explained throughout document 6. The US was gained more peace within the state and national government, there were less problems that arose. Money on the western frontier was strengthened and grew. States were able to grow and prosper. Additionally, the Indians were now free of further conflict with Americans. If they agreed to move west they would become separate from the United States. They would be able to live on their own, without interference from the United

This historical document is a transcription of President Andrew Jackson’s Second Annual Message to Congress. Before his second annual message to Congress, Jackson had already signed the Indian Removal Act into law. The Indian Removal Act allowed the President to grant lands in the west to Indian tribes that agreed to give up their lands in the east (“Indian Treaties and the Removal Act”). In his message, Jackson claims that Indian Removal Act is beneficial to everyone involved. Although Jackson outlines the benefits of speeding up the process of removing Indian tribes from their homelands, in reality, the Indian Removal Act does not benefit Indian tribes because it only leads to a forced migration, reinforces prejudice towards the Indians,

In Document D, John Ross said, “Ever since [the whites came] we have been made to drink of the bitter cup of humiliation; treated like dogs... our country and the graves of our fathers torn from us.” As you can see, the Indians feel sick and tired of being controlled by Americans. They want to be independent and want to live along the graves of their ancestors without it being taken away. In conclusion, the Indian Removal act caused Indians to be treated very poorly due to their land being forcibly taken away and walking the Trail of

A summary comparison of views regarding the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Was it an act of humanitarianism intended to help and save the Native American culture from the white settlers, as Robert V. Remini has argued? Or was his intent to destroy the tribal culture and to get rid of the Native Americans, as Anthony F.C Wallace has argued?

One of the defining moments of President Andrew Jackson’s career, if not the most significant, was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This was a controversial bill at the time and the impact from it is still felt today. The Indian Removal Act directly led to the displacement of thousands of Native Americans; including four thousand deaths during the Trail of Tears, the forced march from Georgia to Oklahoma. While overt racism played a clear role in relocating Native Americans past the Mississippi, it is possible that other factors were at play. The living conditions in many of the states were poor for Natives and Jackson hoped that giving them a new location to live could remedy these problems while opening the land up for white settlers.

Action was necessary and accepted as rational by the American people because of their unsustainable racism and greed for land to expand their settlements. The intent was not to burden the Native Americans, but “Jackson fully expected the Indians to thrive in their new surroundings, educate their children, acquire the skills of white civilization so as to improve their living conditions, and become citizens of the United States”(Remini 213). In order to become citizens of the United States the Indians were expected to conform to the societal normalities of the white citizens. Jackson put the removal act in place to diffuse conflict and encourage Native Americans to accept the American way of life as their new culture. The idea was to act in the most humane manner that would help both sides, not necessarily to disregard the Indians heritage or way of life.