Indian Removal Dbq Essay

Robert V. Remini shows that Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act benefits the Native Americans. Andrew Jackson made notice of the issue with the Indians in his inaugural speech on March 4, 1829. He declared that he wanted to give humane and considerable attention to the Indian’s rights and wants in respect to the government and people. Jackson knew that meant to get rid of all remaining tribes beyond the Mississippi River. He (Jackson) believed that the Indians would be better off in the west; without the influence from the white man or local authority. Jackson hired two Tennessee generals to go visit the Creeks and Cherokees to see if the Indians would leave voluntarily. In that, those who did not leave would be protected by the

“Build a fire under them. When it gets hot enough, they’ll move”. There are many opposing opinions as to if Andrew Jackson abused his presidential power under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and accordingly, each side can be justified. However, there is more solid evidence proving that Andrew Jackson did indeed misuse his duties as president by transforming the free movement of Indians to a forced one. Although many believed that Andrew Jackson demonstrated a genuine concern for the well being of the Native Americans, Jackson abused his power as president by unfairly enforcing the Indian Removal Act that did not authorize him to repeal treaties or force the relocation of Indians.

When Americans expanded their country west, they interfered with many American Indian Tribes. In a letter he wrote to congress, he explained “This emigration should be voluntary… (but) if they remain within the limits of the states they must be subject to their laws” (Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress December 7, 1829). Andrew Jackson offered to let the American Indians stay if they followed their laws. But in 1831, Jackson forced the Native Americans out of their homelands starting the Indian Removal. According to a reprinted in Niles Weekly Register, the Cherokee’s said “We wish to remain on the land of our fathers. We have a perfect and original right to remain without interruption or molestation”. Jackson lied to the American Indians about allowing them to stay. Jackson did not act democratically because he did not allow the American Indians to stay and forced them to move west. Jackson was fair to his supporters, but not to

There were several motives for the removal of the Indians from their lands, to include racism and land lust. Since they first arrived, the white Americans hadn’t been too fond of the Native Americans. They were thought to be highly uncivilized and they had to go. In his letter to Congress addressing the removal of the Indian tribes, President Jackson

The Indian Removal Act, inspired by Andrew Jackson; the 7th president of the US and the enhanced ambition for American settlers to find more land in the southwestern regions of North America. The Indian Removal Act enabled Jackson the power of negotiating removal treaties with Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. Among these tribes were: Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaws and Seminoles. Very few authenticated traits were signed. The Choctaws were the only tribe to agree without any issues. All other attempts resulted in War and blood shed for both white settlers and Indians. The conflict with the U.S. and Indians lasted up until 1837. In 1838 & 1839 Jackson forced the relocation of the remaining Cherokee Indians;

In Document J, he said, “Surrounded by the whites with their arts of civilization, which, by destroying the resources of the savage, doom him to weakness and decay, the fate of the Mohegan… is fast overcoming the Choctaw, the Cherokee, and the Creek…. Humanity and national honor demand that every effort should be made to avert so great a calamity.” and “...I suggest for your consideration… setting apart an ample district west of the Mississippi, and (outside) the limits of any state or territory now formed, to be guaranteed to the Indian tribes as long as they shall occupy it, each tribe having a distinct control over the portion designated for its use….”. It is evident that Jackson understood how much devastation white men have unleashed upon the various Indian tribes and that he intended to prevent any further disaster which is what the people wanted. Jackson proposed his solution, the Indian Removal Act to Congress which set aside guaranteed territory for the Indian tribes.

The Indian Removal Act was passed in congress on May 28, 1830, it was passed by only one vote in congress. The act was then signed by the president at that time Andrew Jackson. The Indian Removal Act gave Andrew Jackson the ability to negotiate with the Indian tribes for their removal from the southern United States to move to an area west of the Mississippi river. The Indian Removal Act was passed because of American settlers wanting to take Indians land, the discovery of gold in Cherokee territory, and the desire for moe land by the United States Government that believed the Indians land could be used to boost the economy. This act resulted in the removal of 5 major Indian tribes; the tribes affected were Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek,

The Indian Removal Act was not a peaceful transition for the Native Americans. This act was not fair for both the Native Americans, and the American citizens. Document 9 states, "…badly supplied with food and water... All our neighbors...would speak a language totally different from ours, and practice different customs..." This shows that Andrew Jackson was being very harsh to the Native Americans.

Jackson wrote “I suggest for your consideration….setting apart an ample district west of the Mississippi….to be guaranteed to the Indian tribes as long as they shall occupy it….” (Doc D). Although Jackson forced the Native Americans to leave, he gave them a land in the west of Mississippi as long as they live in it. Now that Jackson gave the Native Americans a land, there will be no more conflicts between them and the white people. Some of the Native Americans did not want to leave their land such as the Cherokee because they had the right to stay since it is the land of their fathers and because they were the ones who came to the lands first. In the Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, the Cherokees said “The country west of the Arkansas territory is unknown to us…. The far greater part of that region is….badly supplied with food and water…. All our neighbors… would speak a language totally different from ours, and practice different customs….” (Doc E). Cherokees did not want to leave for many reasons such that the west of the Arkansas region is unknown to them, the greater part of the region is badly supplied with food and water, and all of their neighbors speak different language

President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act 1830, that gave federal funding to the indian tribes to move further west. The Cherokee indians along with many other tribes fought back, and Jackson argued that there were two different choices he could make. Choice number one was extermination which would have meant to remove all of the indians from the area. Choice number two was through

The 1830's were years of change and uprooting for the Indian tribes in and surrounding Tennessee. They inhabited beautiful lands and tried their best to live peaceful lives. When Jefferson came to administration in Virginia, he quickly gathered that he needed to civilize these people, for they did not live in the same manor he did. He felt he had to punish them for attacking white settlers. When Andrew Jackson became president in 1828, Jefferson's mentality stood out to him. Soon after he was elected he passed a bill to remove all Indians from the east and move them westward. This law, known as the Indian Removal Act, was passed in 1830. Jackson fully believed the Indian nations were standing in the way of white progress and they only way to

Some people believe Jackson’s decision to move the Native Americans to western land was the right decision because there was not enough room for both the Native Americans and white U.S. settlers,

If you were dragged out of your home just because someone wanted it for themselves, would you understand that to be beneficial and for your own good? In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 believing that by evacuating the natives from their genealogical lands would not only benefit them, but the indians as well. Despite Congress’s policy of assimilation or peaceful removal, Andrew Jackson described it to be best for the indians to leave the lands that America claimed to be theirs even though he once thought of the Indians as sovereign nation. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was not beneficial for the native americans because some of the tribes were falsely represented in signing their removal treaties., they were treated harshly

Jackson and his administration wanted to further expand their nation, however, these wants put America in conflict with many Indians, thus, leading to the Indian Removal Act Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which demanded the government to negotiate treaties with Indians east of the Mississippi to relocate in what is now Oklahoma, and although relocation was voluntary, the government pressured many tribes to relocate, thus, worsening their relationship with the

Jackson’s removal policy did not sit well with a lot of groups; many were uncomfortable about it but agreed it had to be done. President Jackson showed great leadership apart from everything else, and handled the Indian Removal act when no one else wanted to address the growing issue of Indian problem. Most government officials saw little to gain from addressing this and would do nothing. Some historians believe the president’s motivation was clearly out of concern for the Indians customs, their culture and their language, but his first concern was the safety of the military, Indians occupying the east might jeopardize the defense of the United States.