Indian Removal Act Essay

1150 Words5 Pages

The conflict between the Americans and the Natives for the Native’s lands caused the government to created an Act to move the Natives. This compromise was the Indian Removal Act, “An Act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories and for their removals west of the river Mississippi” (United). The Act was passed on May 30, 1830 (Removal), and moved the Natives’ across the country from Georgia to Oklahoma (adamelhamouden). The Removal Act was for all Indians, but there were many other treaties that the government used to move the Natives. The Cherokees used the Treaty of New Echota. This was a Treaty that “traded all Cherokee lands East of the Mississippi for $5 million” (PBS staff). Most …show more content…

Other tribes throughout America were also moved. An example was Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians. Some other tribes such as Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks and Seminoles (Stories), were affected at the onset of the Act. The Nez Perce tribe was affected at the end of the Act. The tribe was pushed to the border between America and Canada, only miles from freedom. Many of the tribe members died as they fled. They finally gave up and surrendered to the soldiers after Chief Joseph gave his famous speech, “Hear me my Chiefs, I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”
After the long walk on the Trail, the compromise of the Act was not kept.. When the Natives arrived at the reservations, they found horrible land, even though the government said it would be good land (Wright). It was instead rocky land that they couldn't even farm on. The Natives believed that the land could not be owned by anyone, but they knew that any land they would live on, would be owned by the United States. Soon settlers came and took the reservations. If the Indians resisted, it could lead to a fight. So they moved, and soon didn't have homes to stay