Background on the Indian Removal Act
As stated before, the Europeans and the Indians once had a peaceful relationship. This all changed once Americans began feeling the pressures of expanding their territory. The relationship between settlers and Indians began depleting as early as 1775 during the Revolutionary War when the Indians fought alongside the British against the Americans. Conflicts between Natives and European settlers quickly followed and sometimes turned violent. The Europeans had more advanced weapons compared to the Indians. After the Revolution, the government passed an act that would regulate trade between Americans and Natives. This act, called the Trade and Intercourse Act, was established to prevent the Natives from cheating the Americans out of a trading deal and also to give the responsibility of dealing with the Indians to the federal government. Americans also made several attempts to try to convert Indians to the American way of life in an attempt to civilize them and keep their relationship strong. Many were sceptable about trying to civilize Indians, though. Governor Lewis Cass said this will never work and Indians "cannot live in contact with a civilized community..." in his article in the newspaper, The North American Review.
Beginning in 1803, polices directed towards the removal of Indians were drafted by the American government. The government was particularly in favor of the Indian removal. The president held the power to negotiate with the tribes and to move them westward. In his address to Congress in 1825, President Monroe stated that Indian removal was "of very high importance to [the] Union, and may be accomplished on conditions and in a manner to promote the interest and happiness of those tribes". Basically, Monroe was in favor of relocation of the Indians because he believed it would benefit both Americans and the Native tribes.
When Andrew Jackson was elected president, the need to deal with the Indian conflicts gained more and more ground. He and his supporters were the ones to introduce the Indian Removal Act to Congress. Not only was Jackson petitioning for the removal of the Indians, but he was also fighting for an end to conflicts between federal and state government over this issue. According to Jackson, the Indian Removal Act would bring "an end to all possible danger of collision between the authorities of the General and State Governments on account of the Indians". Months of debates followed Jackson's presentation to Congress about the issue. On May 26, 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. A full scale effort to begin removing the Indians followed immediately after Jackson signed the act into law two days later. First to be relocated was the Choctaw tribe of the Mississippi. Tribes such as the Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole all signed treaties with the government which permitted them to sell their land or move west. Either way, the government would do anything to remove the Indians from American territory.
Some tribes wouldn't be moved from their beloved land that easily, though. The Cherokee tribe took their complaints to court, claiming they had the right to sue the state of Georgia over their forceful relocation. This case was appropriately named Cherokee v. Georgia The Supreme Court agreed with the Cherokees, ruling Georgia had not right to force the tribe to move west. Many tribes were unhappy about their relocation west, of course. During their journey west the Cherokees "positively refused to proceed any further & unloaded the wagons", according to Captain Drane, one of the Indians' overseers during their journey west. The
In the end, over 46,000 Natives were moved from their territory and were forced into western lands under the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
(Picture courtesy of ecu.edu)
Beginning in 1803, polices directed towards the removal of Indians were drafted by the American government. The government was particularly in favor of the Indian removal. The president held the power to negotiate with the tribes and to move them westward. In his address to Congress in 1825, President Monroe stated that Indian removal was "of very high importance to [the] Union, and may be accomplished on conditions and in a manner to promote the interest and happiness of those tribes". Basically, Monroe was in favor of relocation of the Indians because he believed it would benefit both Americans and the Native tribes.
When Andrew Jackson was elected president, the need to deal with the Indian conflicts gained more and more ground. He and his supporters were the ones to introduce the Indian Removal Act to Congress. Not only was Jackson petitioning for the removal of the Indians, but he was also fighting for an end to conflicts between federal and state government over this issue. According to Jackson, the Indian Removal Act would bring "an end to all possible danger of collision between the authorities of the General and State Governments on account of the Indians". Months of debates followed Jackson's presentation to Congress about the issue. On May 26, 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. A full scale effort to begin removing the Indians followed immediately after Jackson signed the act into law two days later. First to be relocated was the Choctaw tribe of the Mississippi. Tribes such as the Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole all signed treaties with the government which permitted them to sell their land or move west. Either way, the government would do anything to remove the Indians from American territory.
Some tribes wouldn't be moved from their beloved land that easily, though. The Cherokee tribe took their complaints to court, claiming they had the right to sue the state of Georgia over their forceful relocation. This case was appropriately named Cherokee v. Georgia The Supreme Court agreed with the Cherokees, ruling Georgia had not right to force the tribe to move west. Many tribes were unhappy about their relocation west, of course. During their journey west the Cherokees "positively refused to proceed any further & unloaded the wagons", according to Captain Drane, one of the Indians' overseers during their journey west. The
In the end, over 46,000 Natives were moved from their territory and were forced into western lands under the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
(Picture courtesy of ecu.edu)