Hunger For Indian Land In Andrew Jackson's America Summary

In the article by Anthony F. C. Wallace, “The Hunger for Indian Land in Andrew Jackson’s America,” the reasons for America's need for Indian land is discussed. The purpose of this article is to explain the Indian removal that occurred under Andrew Jackson’s presidency. The thesis of this essay states that Americans kicked the Natives off of their land to fulfill a selfish desire to expand the cotton industry. The first point Wallace uses to support his thesis is how Jackson’s financial interest in the land affected the removal of Natives. The land that was most sought after included the Muscle Shoals, which was land that the Cherokees had acquired many years ago. But because the land was now seen as “prime cotton acreage,”

These strengths include the explanation of John Ross’s involvement in Indian removal, the use of statistics to back up his claims about cotton production in America, and the fact that he doesn’t only blame Jackson for the atrocities that occurred. Wallace includes a personal example as one of his main points, adding to the appeal of the essay. He personalizes Indian removal and does an excellent job of explaining how the events affected Ross. Another strength in this essay is the amount of statistics Wallace incorporates about cotton production. He explains how much cotton America produced compared to the world, how much cotton the world required, and how important cotton was to America's economy. This improves the reader's understanding of the Americans want for land and helps contextualize the arguments made by Wallace. Lastly, Wallace does a good job of not showing a bias towards or against Jackson. He explains Jackson’s personal reasons for putting the Indian Removal Act in motion, but also presents other points. He explains economic factors and factors from outside of the states that influenced the treatment of Natives. The facts presented in this article agree with the prior consensus of this