ipl-logo

Summary Of Andrew Jackson's Treatment Of Native Americans

826 Words4 Pages

Ever since Europeans came to the shores of North America, they have treated the native populations as inferior. This mistreatment continued formally under the US and its government, as it displaced tribes from its homelands. Propelled by Manifest Destiny, the US expanded west, pushing Natives to smaller and worse lands. The US government and people contradicted their founding values with their treatment of Native Americans from 1815-60 by restricting their autonomy and opportunities. The US’s treatment of native tribes emphasized their inferiority to white America, denying the founding value of equality. The Declaration of Independence states, “all men are created equal.” Unfortunately, the US did not uphold this value with its relations with …show more content…

In 1819, the US created funds for the Civilizing Act in order to assimilate the Natives who lived close to frontier settlements through English, agriculture, and the Christian gospel (Norton 252). However, these schools did not solve America’s unabiding hatred of Natives. Andrew Jackson makes this apparent in his Second Annual Address, where he bluntly calls Native Americans “savages” living under “rude institutions” (Andrew Jackson's Second Annual Message). This patronizing view from Americans culminated in the Indian Removal Act of 1830, forcing all tribes to move west of the Mississippi (Norton 253). Americans viewed their actions under paternalism, justifying their subjugation of tribes by their believed obligation to help these inferior people (Norton 262). Jackson exemplifies this mindset, for he viewed the Removal Act as “benevolent” and “free[ing]” to the native people (Andrew …show more content…

After the Trail of Tears in the early-to-mid nineteenth century, many tribes lived in completely different climates and ecosystems with poor prospects for agriculture (Norton 255). Because of their new surroundings, tribes often became dependent on the government, perpetuating the paternalistic mindset. But, some tribes attempted to return to their old lands and ways of life. In 1832, the Sauks, as member Elijah Kilbourne explained, moved back east in hope “to raise a crop of corn and beans” (Black Hawk Documents). However, the incident led instead to Black Hawk’s War, the last belligerent uprising in the region and a confirmation that tribes would not have the opportunity to return home (Norton 319). America continued forcing Natives to cede their land rights and opportunities. In 1851, the Office of Indian Affairs helped negotiate the Fort Laramie Treaty (Norton 335). This agreement with northern Plains tribes allowed white travelers to cross and the government to construct infrastructure on their land in order to aid westward expansion (Norton 355). The parameters of the agreement were a clear denotation of white superiority, as it viewed Americans’ opportunities in the west as more important than the lives of Natives. The US limited the opportunities for Native Americans in order to increase those for white

Show More
Related
170 Words | 1 Pages

The Indian Removal Act authorized Jackson to give the Indians land west of the Mississippi in exchange for their land in the states, but could not force them to leave. He violated and broke commitments that he even negotiated with them. He tried to bribe the Indians and even threatened some of them. Alfred Cave organizes his article thematically and is trying to prove

Read More
446 Words | 2 Pages

In the book, The Cherokee Removal, Perdue and Green argue that the Cherokee Nation was treated unfairly by the U.S. Government in the 1800s. The majority of Americans were not fond of the Native Americans, and the Americans felt as if the Native Americans were on their rightfully owned property. Perdue and Green display how the states were trying to remove the Natives when they write, “A state could use its legal institutions to make life for Indians so miserable that they would gladly sell their lands and flee to the West” (Perdue and Green, 73).

Read More
203 Words | 1 Pages

When Andrew Jackson became president in 1829, the Native American condition worsened. Congress allowed the president to solve the "Indian problem" with the Indian Removal Act of 1830 (O’Neill 11). This act gave President Jackson permission to offer tribes land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their tribal lands east of the Mississippi. Politicians of the day considered this a generous offer, (O’Neil 11) but the Native American population would not surrender their homes so easily. So the federal government used some shady tactics in order to get many tribes to accept the agreement.

Read More
394 Words | 2 Pages

Before the 1860’s the native americans were living in peace until the Colonists attacked. The Western Expansion of 1860-90 greatly affected the lives of Native Americans, due to the powerful role

Read More
577 Words | 3 Pages

Andrew Jackson should be remembered as a harsh public figure because of his actions in the Indian Removal Act and his vetoes during his presidency. Andrew Jackson should be remembered as a harsh public figure because of his actions under the Indian Removal Act. According to “Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act Speech,” Andrew Jackson states that “it will perhaps cause Indian tribes gradually, under protection of the government and through the influence of good counsel;s, to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community”(Andrew). Andrew Jackson merely thought of the Native Americans as “savage” animals and not even humans. It becomes even more obvious that Jackson thinks this harshly of the Native

Read More
1009 Words | 5 Pages

The original relationship with the Indians was positive, but more was happening than what was on the surface. The Indians were being manipulated from the beginning, and given less than what was taken from them. It was believed that Indians should have the right to their own nation, and should not have their rights taken away from them. (Document B) However, at the time of Washington’s Administration after the war, The Indians were given less than half the land they had before American Independence through the treaty of Holston.

Read More
254 Words | 2 Pages

After many excruciating and bloody battles, one example being the Battle of Horse Show Bend, Native American tribes began to realize they couldn’t defeat Americans in war. Instead they developed a strategy of appeasement. This plan consisted of the Native Americans giving up a large portion of their land, in hopes that they could retain some of it. However, appeasement and resistance did not work. Following, Andrew Jackson convinced congress to pass the Removal Act of 1830.

Read More
480 Words | 2 Pages

Although this act was harsh, to some it overshadows the good that Jackson did. In the source: Letter from Elias Boudinot, Cherokee Indian, Elias says, “Removal, then, is the only remedy, the only practical remedy. Our people may finally rise from their very ashes, to become prosperous and happy, and a credit to our race.” The quote is from a Cherokee Indian agreeing that the removal might be the best thing for the Native Americans. Andrew Jackson is a hero because he worked to bring more democracy to the

Read More
640 Words | 3 Pages

President Jackson and Congress disagreed on the Indian Removal Policy, but Jackson went forward with it anyway. The Indians had fought with the people since the original colonization, and the U.S citizens were usually the aggrovators. The U.S had only had a couple of good relationship years, the rest of the time, there was a large amount of tension and small “wars” between the people and Natives. The U.S and Natives had been under tension for multiple years when Jackson declared the Indian Removal policy. The authors perspective towards the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears helped to shape our current understanding by showing how different people can have different views on a topic.

Read More
1352 Words | 6 Pages

In the late 1800s, tensions were rising between white Americans and Native Americans. The white Americans wanted the Native Americans to conform to their definition of civility. The Native Americans had clung tightly to their culture and religious practices during a time of continuous encroachment and governmental pressure by the white Americans. By this time, Native Americans had already been forced westward onto reservations through government action. Andrew Jackson had set this migration in motion earlier in the century, and the migration pattern would later be referred to as the “Trail of Tears”.

Read More
271 Words | 2 Pages

Andrew Jackson, in his “Address on Indian Removal” speech, argues that his Act, which relocates Native Americans in the South East, is ultimately beneficial for both the United States and the Indians. To slowly degrade the opinions congressmen have on the Indians and conjure sympathetic emotions, Jackson uses derogatory words which further diminish the little respect congressmen have for the Native Americans. For example, almost every paragraph contains the word “savage” which connotes incivility, barbarism, and stupidity. The use of “savage” allows Jackson to imply that America is better than the “red men” and should decide their fate in order to protect them. Furthermore, towards the end of the second paragraph Jackson uses words like “retard,”

Read More
865 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
784 Words | 4 Pages

First of all, Native Americans were settled on a hotbed of natural resources which included oil and precious metals such as silver and gold. There was also much fertile land that would entice farmers and frontiersmen to move out west. On this land there was so much potential economic opportunity for farmers, cattle drivers, miners and many other occupations. The government developed the popular public misconception that the indians were misusing the land and that Americans had the right to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in the west. These ideas led to the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 which authorized encroachment of Indian lands by the US government in order to divide up reservations and control Indian activity.

Read More
1308 Words | 6 Pages

As a part of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Native American people were forcefully assembled and made to endure one of the longest walks from Georgia to Oklahoma on what has become known as the Trail of Tears. President Andrew Jackson’s motives for movement of the Native people to a new territory was to eliminate the Native race by stripping the victims of their vital resources needed for basic survival. After 178 years of expansion and growth in the United States of America, the circumstances for Native Americans remain unchanged. President Jackson’s sentiments have permeated the present society in issues associated with the physical and emotional fight to decolonize. Decolonization is both the individual and communal effort to regenerate

Read More
951 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the 19th century Native Americans were treated far less than respectful by the United States’ government. This was the time when the United States wanted to expand and grow rapidly as a land, and to achieve this goal, the Native Americans were “pushed” westward. It was a memorable and tricky time in the Natives’ history, and the US government made many treatments with the Native Americans, making big changes on the Indian nation. Native Americans wanted to live peacefully with the white men, but the result of treatments and agreements was not quite peaceful. This precedent of mistreatment of minorities began with Andrew Jackson’s indian removal policies to the tribes of Oklahoma (specifically the Cherokee indians) in 1829 because of the lack of respect given to the indians during the removal laws.

Read More

More about Summary Of Andrew Jackson's Treatment Of Native Americans

Related Topics

Open Document