Indian Removal Essay, Research Paper

When the white men decided they wanted the lands belonging to the Native Americans, also known as Indians, the United States Government did everything in its power to help the white men acquire the Indian land. The United States Government did everything from turning a blind eye to passing legislature requiring the Indians to give up their land. Aided by his bias against the Indians, General Jackson set the Indian removal into effect in the war of 1812 when he battled the great Tecumseh and conquered him.

Then General, later to become President, Jackson began the Indian Removal movement after his conquer over Tecumseh. Jackson then became the leader of the distribution of Indian lands; he distributed them in unequal ways.

In 1828 when Jackson was running for President his platform was based upon Indian Removal, a popular issue that was working its way through Congress in the form of a Bill. Jackson won a sweeping victory and began to formulate his strategies, which he would use in an “Indian Removal campaign”. In 1829, upon seeing that his beloved Bill was not being enforced, Jackson began dealing with the Indian tribes and offering them “untouchable” tracts of lands west of the Mississippi River. Only if they would cede their lands to the United States, and move themselves there.

Jackson was a large fan of states rights; hence he vetoed the charter for the Bank of the United States. So when faced with two issues concerning states rights (one with South Carolina regarding succession, one with Georgia regarding the Indians) he went with the suppression of South Carolina and gave Georgia all out support. When faced with the decision of Union or Indians he went with the Union and oppressed the Indians.

The Executive branch wasn t the only part of government that suppressed the Indians; the Legislative branch also suppressed them. In 1828 Congress passed the Indian Removal Bill, which forced the Indians in the south to relocate, or be subjected to state laws. This Bill was strongly opposed by the north while it was supported by the south.

The Bill, which barely passed it both House and Senate, was a support for the popular distribution of fertile Indian lands. The United States government was lured into the relocating of the Indians because it offered more farmland for southern farmers. As far as the actual relocation went, the task of relocating the Indians fell into the hands of the Army, who then mostly signed the task off to contractors. Indian attempts at conforming were futile and quickly crushed.

When the Cherokees Americanized their tribe and converted to “the American Way” the state of Georgia quickly went in with militias and forced them along their way. Various tribes of Indians fought on the side of the United States against their Indian brothers in return for promised protection against removal, government promises proved to be false. The government sent a sign that it wanted the Indians to leave, and not conform.

The United States government was quick, behind its powerful Executive, to turn an eye. In 1832 militia regiments from Georgia went onto Cherokee lands and imprisoned four missionaries, whom they later released upon them swearing oath to the state of Georgia. Later, the same militia imprisoned ten missionaries and sentenced them to four years hard labor. Their case (based on a treaty with the Cherokee years prior) was.