Indian Removal Act

Indian Removal Act

The Indian removal act was passed into law on May 28, 1830, by President Andrew Jackson. This act gave the president power to give the lands located west of the Mississippi River to the Native American tribes if they left their homelands in the southeast (OpenStax, 2019). The law specified that the government was required to peacefully, fairly, and voluntarily discuss the removal accords. The law also required the federal government or the president to persuade the Indians to surrender their lands voluntarily. The Indian removal act was very explosive because instead of the government official agreeing amicably with the native tribes, force, threats, and bribes were used to drive the Native American tribes out of their lands. Some of the immediate reasons that contributed to the passing of the Indian removal act in 1830 was the gold that was discovered in Cherokee land in 1829, the state’s right issue and the rise of racism.

According to Jackson’s administration, the main reason for shifting the Cherokee Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River was to reform the national policy. They believed that removing the Indian tribes would reinforce the frontier in the southwest that would help strengthen the territory between Louisiana and Tennessee to the extent of repelling future attacks. The seizing of the native land was first articulated in the Treaty of Holston in 1791. According to the treaty, the aim snatching the native lands was “that the Cherokee Nation may be led to a greater degree of civilization, and to become herdsmen and cultivators, instead of remaining in a state of hunters” (Indian Removal Act of 1830 – Legends of America, n.d). The Indian removal act opened new territories for the white settlers who wanted agricultural lands, and it also decreased the Native American inhabitants in the southeast. The legalizing of the Indian removal Act contributed to tension between the American government and the Natives. The Cherokee renamed the shifting journey “trail of tears” because of its challenges (Indian Removal (article), n.d). Approximately 2500-6000 people died during the trail of fear, while nearly 6000 Choctaws stayed in Mississippi after the removal efforts by the American government.

In the context of the first inaugural address, Jackson seemed as if he would permit the Indians to live freely in their lands, but this was not the case during the trail of fear. Jackson’s actions were cruel during the seizing of Indian lands since they were forcefully driven from their homeland to the “Indian territory.”

The removal of the Native Americans from the east of the Mississippi river violated the principle found in the declaration of independence. According to the declaration of independence, all people are equal and that these United Colonies are, and of right, ought to be Free and Independent States;” (Declaration of Independence: What Does It Say? 2018). The forceful removal of the Native Americans from east of the Mississippi River violated the right of life, liberty, and happiness for the Indians. The removal showed that some people are more superior to others. Since all people are equal according to the declaration of independence, there was no need for the government to force the Native Americans out of their land. The tribes that were affected by the Indian removal act were Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. These tribes were seen as inferior in the land of the whites, and therefore the act was seen as a discrimination action.

The Indian removal act was passed into law on May 28, 1830, by President Andrew Jackson. The law specified that the government was required to peacefully, fairly, and voluntarily discuss the removal accords. The law also required the federal government or the president to persuade the Indians to surrender their lands voluntarily. The removal of the Native Americans from their homeland violated the principles found in the Declaration of Independence because the affected tribes were discriminated against, deprived of the right to life and liberty, and also deprived of the right to live anywhere in the country.

References

The Declaration of Independence: What Does It Say? (2018, December 14). National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration/what-does-it-say

Indian Removal (article). (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-early-republic/age-of-jackson/a/indian-removal

Indian Removal Act of 1830 – Legends of America. (n.d.). Legends of America – Exploring history, destinations, people, & legends of this great country since 2003. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-indianremovalact/

OpenStax. (2019). U.S. history. OpenStax CNX. Retrieved from: https://cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@6.18:gMXC1GEM@7/Introduction