Summary Of The Hunger For Indian Land In Andrew Jackson's America

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,”

Wallace explains that the economic reasons can be largely attributed to the Industrial Revolution that was occurring in Great Britain. A major player in this revolution was the steam engine and how it changed the economy. Wallace does a good job of going into detail about how the industrialization that occurred affected Americans. Another thing that was seen as one of the most important pieces of the revolution in Britain was cotton, due to its importance in the textile industry. Wallace explains that cotton was being sold all over the world, thus creating a heavy demand for its production in America. This strengthens his argument. One statistic stated that America was producing two-thirds of the world’s cotton at this time. Then he explains that not only was cotton needed, but cotton goods were also becoming a booming industry. One thing that got in the way of this production was a tariff that existed to drive up the cost of British goods in America. This caused resentment in the South especially, because they used cheap clothing from Britain for their slaves. This, coupled with not obtaining Indian land, was disrupting the union. Finally, the Removal Act was passed and some of the South’s anger was resolved. One weakness of this point is that Wallace fails to explain the impact of tariffs and how they would eventually lead to the nullification crisis. He mentions them, but does not

Wallace informs the readers of the struggle Chief John Ross faced. Ross was an educated white man who was only part Cherokee, but still lived on their land and became a very influential man. Previously, the government had told the Natives that if they “civilized” themselves then they would be safe on their land. This meant adopting Christianity, having a constitution, and other things that would make them common white men. Ross had fought with Jackson against the Creek Indians, this being a major reason for his later influence over the Cherokee Nation. He owned his own a plantation, slaves, and held Methodist services. Yet, when Jackson kicked natives off their land, he looked at Ross and the rest of the Cherokees as savages. They were kicked off their land and traveled on what would become the Trail of Tears. Even after losing his wife during the move, along with the loss of thousands of Cherokees, Ross kept his morale high and fought for the perseverance of his nation. Wallace makes a very profound statement, saying that “It was not he ‘savagery’ of the Indians that land-hungry whites dreaded; it was their civilization” (Wallace). The explanation of the true reasons that Americans didn’t want Natives on their land is a very strong argument in this point. One weakness would be how Wallace does not offer any other viewpoints. He only