Race Relations Dbq

Andrew Jackson was a General in The United States army, and the 7th president, throughout his presidency he experienced many struggles with the Native Americans like wars and land disputes. In the 1830s he wanted to end these conflicts so he put in place the Indian Removal Act of 1830. I believe Andrew Jackson rightly and correctly removed the Indians. Even though many Indians died along the way Jackson had a reason behind what he did and should not be to blamed for their deaths.

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 it came to protecting individual liberties, Jacksonians favored the white male population, but totally ignored others. They wanted to move all of the Indians who lived in the eastern lands to western lands past the Mississippi River. Jackson bolstered their case. Even after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee tribe and its right to remain where it was, Jackson did

Once again the history shows that white people of United States are prejudiced and only think about what can give them profits. The less Indians near them, the more place for them to live. As a president, Andrew Jackson should take care of every single one of his people, not only the ones he accepts and can take advantage of. Instead of being an honest man, he lied and pose to be somebody his not - a friend of Indians that wants nothing else but their safety. His kindly gestures, as he calls them, were supposed to bring benefits to him and make ruling the country even

The government, and most of the new inhabitants of the New World, believed that the Indians were “unruly, violent creatures” that were beneath them (Masaryk University, Relations Between English Settlers and Indians in 17th Century New England, 42). The only reason why several Indians accepted the terms of Jackson's land policies was due to his skillful rhetoric and sensible speaking skills. Furthermore, the Indians lacked experience in having to make highly significant accommodations among, and for, their people. Jackson had a vast history of public disgust for the Indian society. Prior to his presidency, Andrew Jackson started with a military background in Tennessee that primarily involved revolts against the Indians. He also led a campaign against a group of Indians known as the “Red Sticks” (Cayton, Contact Points: American Frontiers from the Mohawk Valley to the Mississippi, 173). Through this campaign Jackson showed extreme disgust and revulsion towards the Indian people, and consistently discussed how he never felt America was safe so long as the Indians were around. These policies were destructive to the Indian population, and further conveyed Andrew Jackson’s prejudice attitude towards the Indians. Jackson's land policies eventually solely benefitted the white settlers, by taking most land

Andrew Jackson, The United States seventh president, was possibly one of the worst human beings to be president and treated the Native Indians horribly. He, was a bully and used his position to get acts and petitions like the Indian Removal Act passed, to help push Native Indians around so he could get his own way. The Indian Removal Act in and of itself seemingly doesn’t contain that much power, however it was all the power Jackson needed. The circumstances of Jackson’s character and the debates surrounding the Act also lend and interesting lens to examine what Jackson intentions were. When looking at Jackson and how he managed to relocate the Native it becomes substantially more integral to examine all the documents with a wide scope to see how he even managed the relocation of Natives.

In 1835, President Andrew Jackson proclaimed that the Native Americans were to be removed from their homeland. Jackson claimed that the Native Americans were “savage hunters” among the “civilized population.” Also, during this time Jackson was preparing for his second term where he refused to help the Native Americans for then he would be conflicting against the whites.

Andrew Jackson has gone down as one of the best presidents in United States history and that’s because he did many great things to improve the United States. Throughout his presidency he constantly abused his power as the president and did many things that expanded the powers of the president. One of the biggest things that President Jackson did while in office was pass the Indian Removal Act. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was when Jackson forced all the Indians to move to the land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase, while the Supreme Court declared this unconstitutional. Many of the Indians went peacefully, but many of the Indians also decided to protest and take it to the Supreme Court (Darrenkamp). While the court did side with the Indians Jackson and Congress forced the Indians to give up their land. The federal troops were called in to escort the Indians to their new land. Fifteen thousand Indians were forced to move and while on their way about a third of the Indians died, and this event became to be known as the Trail of Tears (Darrenkamp). Jackson had

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

When we look back into history, we are now able to fully comprehend the atrocities the Indians faced at the hands of the historic general and President, Andrew Jackson. It can be seen as one of the most shameful and unjust series of political actions taken by an American government. However, as an American living almost 200 years later, it is crucial to look at the motives possessed by Andrew Jackson, and ask whether he fully comprehended the repercussions of his actions or if is was simply ignorant to what he was subjection the natives to. We must also consider weather he truly had the countries best interest in mind, or his own.

Even preceding his fame from presidency, Andrew Jackson was known for his opposition to American Indians. And although this connotation is assigned to Jackson’s attitude towards the Natives during the decades before he became President, his dominant goal was to maintain the security of the United States. As a military man, he was depicted as a zealous supporter of the removal of the Indians. Once he was in Office, the story goes, he utilized his newly acquired power to extract the Natives from their ancestral homes. One the contrary, during his terms, Jackson proved that upheld the rights of the Natives. However, what is considered to be the most controversial action of his presidency, the removal of the “Five Civilized Tribes” resulted in an abundance of criticism toward Jackson. Although alternatives to this removal were present, some being executed before, the American mindset was simply Natives could nither be assimilated to the “white” society nor requisite protection was possible. The removal, as Jackson concluded, seemed the only possible answer.

Although Jackson didn’t hate the Indians, he thought that the government should treat them as wards. Wards didn't have any or much political power. Jackson also thought that white people and native wouldn't get along. Today in society many different races actually do get along and work together. Later in 1828 Georgia passed a law that gave the Cherokee Indians no legal protection if the state took their land. Giving the Indians no protection of there homes causes many problems for the Indians. If the state took their land then the Indians would have to pack up their families and move to a new place. Although today's people see it was very wrong of them, in that time Jackson must of believe that it was the right action against the Indians,

On this treacherous journey, nearly four thousand of them died from hunger, exhaustion, exposure, and/or disease. Voters believe that actions like this were unforgivable, with the world today it would not have been allowed or supported as it was in 1833. It was not as if Jackson hated Indians, he was friendly with many of them. Jackson even took in an Indian orphan to live in his house with him for companionship for his adopted son. He did believe that whites were of higher standing though, and for that, he believed that for the Indians’ own survival, they needed to get out of the whites’ way.

From analyzing his actions from 1829-1837 I believe Andrew Jackson was a foe, who abused his position. He treated the Natives with no mercy, and only for his benefit. This is shown in Jackson's 1830 second annual message where he proposes to move the Natives west, he calls the Natives “savage hunters” and says it's to “ repel future invasions”. This and other quotes from his message insinuate a removal for the United States benefit and not considering the Natives wants or wellbeing. The same document also says that he wants to “separate Indians from immediate contact from the whites.” and to “cast off their savage habits”, this seems to show his true feelings for the Natives.