An Analysis Of Andrew Jackson's Ratification Of The Indian Removal Act

Would you disregard the lives of thousands of people for wealth and power? That is what Andrew Jackson did when he endorsed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. This act resulted in the forced migration of several tribes from the southeastern region of the United States. Jackson believed that this was the best way to protect the indians from being scattered and destroyed. He claimed that gaining more land for the white settlers would increase economic progress. This, of course, was just a tactic he used to make the concept seem like a peaceful and beneficial idea for America. The Indian Removal Act was actually a terrible thing for the natives. The Trail Of Tears was the migration of 15,000 Cherokee natives from Georgia to Oklahoma. Along the

Confirming the Indian Removal Act was a step in the wrong direction because it was unconstitutional, formed even worse relationships with the natives than we already had, and it made Andrew Jackson seem to be a terrible president.

The ratification of the Indian Removal Act was unconstitutional on Andrew Jacksonś part. The Cherokee had managed to bring their case to the Supreme Court (Worcester v. Georgia) and the Supreme Court was in their favor. Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Cherokee had an ¨unquestionable right to their lands¨. Andrew Jackson ignored this and continued to pass the Indian Removal Act, disregarding the system of Checks and Balances. Some people may argue that the natives aren’t civilized enough to have that much land, so it made more sense for America to take over that land to make use of it, rather than to be politically correct. In their defense, the Americans weren’t any bit of civilized when they first began to arrive and take over all of the preoccupied land. They aren’t uncivilized, they just aren’t white and that seems to be a problem for people. That

Many historians argue that the Cherokee leaders didn’t prepare well enough for the journey, taking into account all of the time the Americans gave them. Saying the Cherokees are to blame for their own deaths during the Trail Of Tears is like blaming the Jews for having to deal with unsanitary conditions in Boxcars during the Holocaust; it doesn’t make sense. “The Cherokee people called this journey the ‘Trail of Tears’ because of its devastating effects. The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the forced march. Over 4.000 of 15,000 of the cherokees died.” (PBS) This terrible treatment towards the natives led to the future hatred of Americans, and just added onto reasons why the white people should not be trusted. “...the sufferings of the Cherokee were awful. The trail of exiles was a trail of death. They had to sleep in the wagons and on the ground without fire. And I have known as many as twenty-two of them to die in one night of pneumonia due to ill treatment, cold, and exposure.” (Document A). Twenty-two people dying in one night is ridiculous, especially since it could’ve been avoided if the Americans had been willing to bring ample supplies for the thousands of natives they hauled along with them. Andrew Jackson was behind all of this, and claimed to be a voice for the people. If