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Indian Removal Act Of 1830

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Indian Removal Act of 1830 The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28th 1930 during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Perhaps best known as the black eye of the administration and overshadowing his presidency’s accomplishments, the Indian Removal Act was passed into law to allow the president to negotiate with Indians to purchase land they occupied and offer them lands west of the Mississippi. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 could also amount to pure greed and racism, the beginning of the arrogance of Americans in the belief that we deserve to take something just because we want it. Expansion By the early 1800’s with the Constitution firmly in place and the economy recovering, the population was growing. The settlers desire to expand further West and south met many hazards, the largest of which being the Native Americans that occupied those lands. Settlers were eager to raise large cotton and tobacco plantations and Native Americans were seen as an obstacle. The Indian Removal Act was the result of the settlers petitioning the government for more land and protection from the “Savage Indians” to the south and west in present day Mississippi and Alabama although there were few unprovoked attacks at the time. The need for land to grow more cash crops was all consuming. An argument could be made that President Jackson held a personal grudge against the Natives, According to Parins, J.W. and Littlefield, D.F. (2011) “He entered the presidency with a single minded

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