Was the Indian Removal Act Justified?

Who is Andrew Jackson?

• Born March 15, 1767• Elected the 7th president of

US in 1828• He became a national hero

after defeating British in 1812

• Was a huge impact on the Indian Removal Act

• His acts cost the Trail of Tears because he forced Native Americans to move to other lands.

• Andrew Jackson removed 46k Native Americans from their homelands in the west, forcing them to walk a Trail of Tears east to assigned lands.

• The Indian tribes included Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole.

• He sent military forces to take lands and expand America.

• Jackson negotiated 9\11 treaties with Native Americans so they could get land in the East. The Native Americans agreed to the treaties because of strategic reasons.

Jackson Implied the Indian Removal Act

Andrew Jackson Speech to Congress on Indian Removal

Andrew Jackson said:After nearly 30 years, Congress approved the

Indian Removal act. This will be good because we will get more land. It is an advantage for the Indians because they will be turned to civilized citizens and live a better lifestyle. The lands will be occupied by 12,000,000 happy people and filled with liberty. It is a positive thing to do, for both sides. The indians and Americans will benefit well from this act.

Primary

Trail of Tears

• In the 1830s, 125k of Native Americans lived on lands in Georgia, Tennesse, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida. At the end of the decade, only a few Native Americans lived there. America wanted the land to farm cotton. They were ordered to move west of the Mississippi river, and were forced to walk thousands of miles. That became known as the Trail of Tears.

• This was a very deathly path, and lot’s of Native Americans lost their lives.

Native American Living Conditions

Before the Indian Removal act

• The Native Americans liked to trade, fish and hunt.

• They preserved their cultural heritage.

• They traded a lot during the time period before the act.

Today• Most Native Americans live in

Oklahoma• Native Americans are very

important to American culture. They developed a variety of language and culture.

• There is a small population of the tribes. Only 308 tribes are recognized by the government.

• About 22% of our country’s 5.2 million Native Americans live on tribal lands.

• Many live on reservations.• Their life is very different.

BIAS PAINTING FROM THE 1830sThis painting is of the Trail of Tears. The painter was an American, and added the blankets, horses, and all the luxury onto this painting. This is a bias painting.

American Living ConditionsAmericans have many rights to do what they wish.We have freedom rights, religion rights, speech rights, and press rights.

Americans have many rights and justice.The average family incomes of none poor or about 6 times as large than what the poor has.

Americans are well health-cared and are sheltered.

Part of the Document of the Indian Removal Act

Indian Removal act was signed into law by Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. It was authorized by the president to grab land in the west, exchanging land in the east for the Native Indians.

Primary

Results of the Indian Removal Act

• America expanded west.• Lot’s of deaths of Native Americans during the

Trail of Tears.• Native Americans lived on assigned landsWAS IT JUSTIFIED?

The Indian Removal was justified because the benefits for America was huge. We expanded eventually to 50 states. Also, Indians are living with us today.

Citations• Robert V Rimidi. "Indian Removal Act." Armchair General and HistoryNet The Best

Forums in History RSS. Viking Pinguin, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.• "Indian Removal." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.• tribes in the U.S.; of these tribes, 308 are recognized by the federal government.

http://www.racismagainstindians.org/AcademicPapers/CurrentConditionNative.pdf• "Andrew Jackson Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 22 Oct

• President Jackson's Message to Congress "On Indian Removal", December 6, 1830; Records of the United States

• Senate, 1789 1990; Record Group 46; Records of the United States Senate, 1789‐ ‐1990; National Archives and Records

• Administration (NARA]• "Primary Documents in American History." Indian Removal Act: Primary Documents

of American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress). N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.