More handpicked essays just for you.
Andrew jackson's native american policy
What was andrew jacksons policy towards native americans
Andrew jackson's native american policy
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In the article “Abuse of Power: Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act of 1830,” the author, Alfred A. Cave, writes about President Jackson’s abuse of power. He is arguing that Jackson abused his power when he was enforcing the Indian Removal Act. He argues that Jackson broke guarantees he made to the Indians. He uses a political methodology and uses secondary sources.
Jackson’s Native American policies were very undemocratic because they decreased the power of the people. Document 9 states that the Native Americans have reasons to stay on their land, one being that the land west of the Arkansas Territory is unknown to them. Another is that the region is poorly supplied with food and water and that the new neighbors have different customs and a totally different language. Finally, they wish to remain on the land in which their ancestors died and where they were buried. The evidence helps explain that Andrew Jackson’s Native American policy was very undemocratic because the Native Americans had four very good reasons for staying on their homeland.
Because of that Jackson believed that they could be removed with violence. Andrew Jackson was a good president even though he did not respect the indians. The people also believed that he could defend them, since he was a general in the Battle of New Orleans. He made a courteous society instead of crooked democrats. Jackson was distinguished as a "true American" when he was a candidate for president.
Therefore, he initialized the Indian Removal Act, and Congress passed it in 1830. This forced Native Americans east of the Mississippi River to proceed to the west side of the river. The Cherokee were willing to change to the white man ways, but Jackson just pushed them away. When the Cherokee were in alliance with the U.S., Andrew Jackson acknowledged them as a nation. While Jackson was against the Cherokee, he said they were not a nation.
The Indians believed that since they were a part of the United States they should be entitled to protection under its laws, but since this was not working they were left with another choice, and decided to take action against the Indian Removal Act and Georgia. Being very cultured and knowledgeable in the ways of the white man and their laws they decided to use Georgia’s strategy of law against in a “fight fire with fire” sort of sense to join the Cherokee Nation in suing the state of Georgia in a case that would eventually go all the way to the Supreme Court. The Indians had also decided to insult to injury by hiring the former attorney general under Adams and Monroe, William Wirt. Jackson had showed his disdain of this action by commenting “The course of Wirt has truly been wicked” (Remini 242). This comment also shows the betrayal Jackson felt knowing that a fellow American was hindering the inevitable expansion of the United States and removal of the Indians.
In the current situation, Jackson believed that the Indians would only live in constant warfare with Americans if they remained in the states, and that being "surrounded by the whites with their arts of civilization" would "doom him to weakness and decay (Norton Mix, 141)." He then argued that the nation's sense of "humanity and national honor demand that every effort should be made to avert so great a calamity (Norton Mix, 141). " By providing a solution for both sides, Jackson took on a sympathetic approach to justify the removal of the Indian tribes to the West of the Mississippi River where they "may be secured in the enjoyment of governments of their own choice (Norton Mix,
When Andrew Jackson stated that the the manifest destiny was a right to the citizens of America he created the national thought on whether or not to take the land that rightfully belonged to the indians. Even when he was talking about the manifest destiny, he called the indians uncivilized and savages. That sentence was untrue, The Indian wanted peace not war. One of their strategies were to adopt american
Congress clearly passed the law as a result of the pressure Jackson applied to them. Jackson’s support for the removal of Native Americans demonstrates how he was not truly very democratic. Jackson believed that the people ought to constantly have a say in how the government makes decisions. However, the removal of Native Americans without any consent indicates how this may not have been entirely his intention. Even though Andrew Jackson performed this service for Americans, there were numerous alternative ways he could have carried it out.
After the War of 1812, Jackson went to war against Native Americans. He was widely popular for killing Native Americans. When settlers wanted more place to farm they wanted to the Native Americans. Jackson promised to back white settlers who wanted the Native Americans lands regardless what treaty he signed with them. Congress created the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to honor Jackson’s promise.
Andrew Jackson’s sentiment towards the Native Americans was certainly not a kind one. Manifest destiny was a popular belief among Americans, including Jackson, and he would go to the extent of forcing Native Americans out of their homes to reach their “ordained goal”. He believed in the expansion of southern slavery which is why he pushed for removing the Indians west of the Mississippi, which makes it the more disgraceful. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 said that it will allow American government to offer in-state territories to the Indian’s for their western land. This wasn’t the case when the U.S. went in and drove the Indians out by force.
He believed Jackson needed a reality check. The Indians were there first, it was their land. He force the Natives to move away from their homeland, with brute force. He believes Jackson could not justify his actions just because it was for America’s benefit. He also stated Jackson refused to listen to many people, and he refused to let Indians live.
Although Jackson was important, he was part of many terrible things. Around the 1820s there were many major indian tribes in eastern United States such as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole. This soon came to a change. Andrew Jackson thought these Indians were in the way of eastern development, using the Indian Removal Act which the congress had approved he decided to kick them out and send them west. In 1831 the Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee Indians had the right to self government and the United States could not interfere with that.
Robert Remini’s Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars is a book that makes you question Jackson's character. Remini addresses the long-standing debate of historians and scholars over whether or not Jackson was barbaric or whether he was a merciful savior that prevented the Native Americans from going extinct. Remini instead argues the opinion that Jackson was simply a man of his time. Despite this, Remini does show Jackson's inexcusable cruelty towards the Native Americans. He learned to fear and hate Indians from an early age.
Andrew Jackson disobeyed a direct order from the Supreme Court, which it means he was above the law. I really wonder how Americans tolerated him, at that time, he was cruel to the Indian common man. Because of him, the Native Americans have the worst end of the Trail of Tears. They are the ones who are forced out of their traditional homes and sent away on a journey of pain and death. Those who had fallen ill, most of the time died, and those who had the will to move on were able to make it to the end and start new lives.
This source has significant value to historians but, like any other source, has its limitations. Andrew Jackson’s motivation to remove the Cherokee from their homeland originated from an avid persona to benefit the Americans. The speech analyzes Jackson’s motivation, and specific plans to remove the Cherokee. In consideration of the speech being written in 1830, the audience can learn how Jackson was rather harsh towards the natives in order to benefit himself and others. This is evident with Andrew Jackson’s actions and his presumptions of the Natives.
