Andrew Jackson Dbq

During the early 1800’s, many of the founding fathers had passed away and a time of change existed with new and younger leaders who were trying to shape America into a Country the nation they believe it should be in their perspective. Their modifications ultimately helped create the Nation into the United States it is today. President Andrew Jackson formed part of the generation of young leaders at the time. In 1829, Jackson desire to be done with the situation of the Indians and the land that they occupied in territory of the nation. After this decision, most of the resources of his administration were used on resolving the issue. Jacksons’ first year in office plans was to move the Indians west of the Mississippi. Whit the relocation Americans

Native Americans had three options to choose from according to Jackson. The first chose was to become citizens who could contribute to the economy. Second choice was to move to another nation where they were able to maintain their customs and back ground without being judge. The third but not least important choice was to face extinction. Jackson was aware that white people did not necessary like Native Americans the last two options were the most convenient to pursue. Indians were being surrounded a whole nation and not willing to give up their life style and costumes, relocation was best option in order to stay alive and take care of their culture. During the late 1820s a number of small “civilized tribes” had become a part of American society; some have moved into cabins, houses, and even mansions. After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, there was great unpleasant experience among the Indians who decided to remain on the natural land and way of life. Some of the Indians rejected the money given by Americans for their land. They stated that too much of their land had been taken already in the past 20 years and would defend and die for the land if it was necessary.

That was not all from Indian Removal Act, there was more than the relocation. The underlying objectives would also aid in “lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of the

In their eyes the land they occupied belonged to them and had been their fathers for generations. They had given millions of acres in the previous twenty years and were unwilling to up more. They were willing to peacefully abide if they could have kept all their land. They had proved this over and over by being faithful to the United States, having signed and abided by multiple Peace Treaties. These treaties had promised them protection only to be broken by the white people. The Cherokees took the longest to relocate, but after much negotiating, the Treaty of New Echota was agreed upon in 1836. The treaty negotiated that the Cherokees would relocate to what is modern day Oklahoma territory. Several hundred left by the deadline, but not all. Almost seventeen-thousand refused to leave their homeland. An army of seven thousand troops led by General Winfield Scott drove the Indians, empty handed from their homes. It is estimated that approximately four-thousand out of the fifteen- thousand died along the way, and has become known as the Trail of Tears. Out of all the one-hundred-thousand southwestern Indians that were relocated more twenty-five-thousand of them died, representing a devastating twenty five percent of their