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Article #96: Indian Removal initiated under Jackson

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When Andrew Jackson became a president in Americans to gain a control over the land
1829, 125,000 Native Americans still of Native Americans and control over the
lived east of the Mississippi River. resources that were on that land. Even if
60,000 of Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaw, and the government wanted to protect Indians
Chickasaw Indians held millions of acres it had a lack of resources and military
in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The to protect them from white farmers,
most crucial political issues at that traders, and speculators.
time were if all of these Indians would The main goal of Jackson's policy was to
be allowed to stop the expansion of white encourage Indians to voluntarily sell
man and if the U.S. government would their land in exchange for new land in
tolerate the previous treaties with Oklahoma and Arkansas. Doing this Jackson
Indians. Under Jackson's presidency two hoped that it would satisfy both parties.
solutions of this issue were possible: White farmers could get new farmland and
assimilation and removal. Assimilation Native Americans would get peace from
meant that Native Americans would have to disturbers. It was supposed to be
become similar to white people. They voluntarily, however, those that did not
would have to adopt cultural and economic want to leave Jackson simply promised to
practices of white Americans. The destroy. As the previous military leader
Cherokee showed the ability to adopt. Jackson and everybody knew what he was
They opened schools, churches, started talking about. During winter of 1831
building roads, started to use printing the Choctaw tribe was the first one to
press, and even adopted constitution. start the Trail of Tears. The government
However, there was another policy failed its promises to help Indians
concerning Native Americans - their moving and a lot of them died from
removal. It was first introduced by epidemic diseases that were easy to get
Thomas Jefferson who believed that Indian during the winter. Then, in 1836, the
removal is the only way to ensure the Creek faced difficulties during their
survival of Native American cultures. The removal. About 3500 of the tribe's 15,000
main point of this policy was to members died along the westward trek.
encourage Indians to move voluntarily to Those who resisted removal were bound in
the lands where they would be left alone chains and marched in double file.
and not harassed by the white men. By 1837, the Jackson had removed 46,000
At first Jackson supported both policies Native American people from their land
but later favored the removal policy as east of the Mississippi. Most members of
the solution to the controversy. This the five southeastern nations were
shift happened partly because of the relocated and that opened 25 million
controversy between the Cherokees and the acres of land to white me. Jackson's
state of Georgia. Cherokees adopted their removal policy can only be appropriately
own constitution that protected the comprehended if it is viewed as a part of
sovereignty of their land. However, when a bigger course of the political and
gold was found on the Cherokees' land economic conquest of frontier regions by
people rushed their looking for it. Of expanding nation states. At the beginning
course, Cherokees were not happy about it of 1800's, all western nations were
and that resulted two most prominent piercing into many new frontier areas,
cases Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia in 1831 including the steppes of Russia, the
and Worcester vs. Georgia. Cherokee pampas of Argentina, the veldt of South
Nation wanted to protect their land from Africa, the outback of Australia, and the
the intruders using the court system. American West. In every region, national
Both cases were won by Cherokees and the expansion was justified on the grounds of
government had an obligation to exclude strategic interest (to anticipate
white intruders from the Indian land. settlement by other powers) or in the
Jackson became very angry with that name of opening valuable land to white
decision and decided to implement the settlement and development. Almost in
removal policy. However, the actual cause each case the expansion was carried
for implementation of this policy was through removal all massacring the whole
simply a great desire by most white native population.






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