Causes of the Trail of Tears: Legislation and Conflict Explained
School
Southern New Hampshire University**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
HIS 200
Subject
History
Date
Dec 12, 2024
Pages
1
Uploaded by ColonelGiraffe2690
Yes, there were immediate causes that precipitated the Trail of Tears. These included both political and social developments: **Indian Removal Act of 1830**: This legislation, signed into law by President Andrew Jackson, was a direct and immediate catalyst for the Trail of Tears. It authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties to relocate Native American tribes from their lands east of the Mississippi River to territories in the west. **Enforcement of Removal Policies**: Following the passage of the Indian Removal Act, the U.S. government and President Jackson's administration began to enforce relocation policies more aggressively. This included the military enforcement of removal, notably under General Winfield Scott. **Treaty of New Echota (1835)**: This treaty was signed by a small faction of the Cherokee in agreement to cede all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi River and relocate to the west. Although ratified by the U.S. Senate and used as legal justification for forced removal. **State Pressure and Conflict**: The state of Georgia, among others, exerted significant pressure on the federal government to remove Native Americans. Georgia passed laws extending its jurisdiction over Cherokee lands, directly undermining Cherokee sovereignty and creating untenable living conditions. These immediate causes, combined with the underlying factors of racial prejudice, economic interest, and expansionist policies, led to the rapid implementation of the removal, culminating in the tragedy of the Trail of Tears.
