Introduction
In the 18 th century, the relationship between the United States Government and the Indian tribes located in its borders was established by the Federal Indian policy. The two nations signed multiple treaties that would govern different aspects including trade and different border cases. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law that authorized the president to grant unsettled lands located west of Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands existing within the States borders. This law had numerous impacts especially on the tribes that had settled on the lands that were considered for exchange. The law required the communities living in the Indian lands to relocate for it to be effective (Carlson & Roberts, 2006). As a consequence, few tribes relocated peacefully while others could not give in to the relocation policy. Cherokee, one of the indigenous people located in the borders were victims of the relocation policy. In 1838 and 1839, who had resisted the relocation policy were forcibly moved west by the United States administration. Forcing them to relocate was not an easy task such that approximately 4,000 Cherokees died. As a result, the forced march was popularly known as the Trail of Tears.
Indian Removal Act of 1830
The relocation policy established through the Indian Removal Act affected the southern Native American tribes who were to be relocated to the federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for another settlement of their ancestral lands. The act discriminated the Cherokee ethnic group leading to the Tears of Tribes. The government signed the treaty using it as a means to displace Indians from their tribal lands. Therefore, the act fastened the displacement of the Indian people from the borders. Among the numerous treaties the two states had signed, the Indian tribes were said to be under the protection of the United States (Carlson & Roberts, 2006). Furthermore, the United States constitution had regulated commerce with foreign nations including the Indian tribes. The Indian people were therefore moved following treaties, surrendering huge amounts of ancestral land to the United States. Moreover, the Indian tribes could not defeat the Americans in war.
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The Cherokees were among the Indian tribes moved from their ancestral lands. The Cherokee native tribe resisted the relocation policy challenging the ruling of the court. However, Georgia laws restricted their freedoms on ancestral land. President Jackson adopted the Removal Act of 1830 so that he can relocate the Indian tribes to the west of the Mississippi, which they were to exchange with their homelands. As identified in the context, most of the Indian tribes were reluctant since they could not easily give up their ancestral lands (Cave, 2003). Nevertheless, the United States had a strong Military, which they used to forcefully relocate the Indian tribes. As a consequence, the U.S. military defeated the creek Indians and destroying their military power. As a result, the Creek Indians surrendered a great portion of land to the United States.
Trial of Tears of 1835
Nevertheless, the Cherokees became resistant as identified in the context. Since they could not easily give up their homelands, they set for a battle to protect their land. Before the American military defeated them, approximately 4000 men died in the battle. This gave rise to the Trial of tears in 1835.
Furthermore, the United States had signed multiple treaties with the Indian tribes that supported the Removal Act. The law assured the Indian tribes of material and financial assistance that would help them relocate to their new lands. The Indian tribes who would relocate, they were assured of permanent protection by the United States Government (Carlson & Roberts, 2006). The multiple treaties allowed any approach that would be used to make the Indian tribes sign the relocation treaties and leave the Southeast to the new land they had been promised.
President Andrew Jackson was in office and very active making the relocation policy active through the adoption of the Removal Act of 1830. Jackson signed around 70 relocation treaties with the Indian tribes through persuasion, bribing and threatening the tribes. However, the approaches employed during the relocation did not favor the relocated tribes (Cave, 2003). Many died in the brutal conditions involved in relocating the tribes losing military men in the battle grounds. The battle still progressed as cases could be forwarded to courts still demanding the relocation of Indian tribes. Most of these cases would be forwarded by land hungry Americans who required the government to authorize the relocation of the remaining tribes.
Nevertheless, the Indian tribes would employ strategies including surrendering some portions of land to the petitioners and remain with a considerable part of the land. President Thomas Jefferson got into office and could not take any step towards the Indian Removal Act. James Monroe was also supporting the argument that Indian tribes in the Southeast should exchange their land for other lands west of the Mississippi river. Although they supported the argument by the Indian Removal Act, They could not take necessary approaches to make it happen. The Indian Removal Act was put into practice to facilitate the incorporation of new territories and westward expansion that would expand the territories of the United States. Despite the brutal conditions experienced during the era, the United States’ plan was successful at last. However, the involvement of the ruling administration established permanent memories of “Trail of Tears” that affected most of the Indian tribes for the plan to be successful. The United States administration had signed treaties that assisted the accomplishment of their mission for relocating Indians to another land away from their ancestral land through stressing on the relocation policy.
References
Carlson, L. A., & Roberts, M. A. (2006). Indian lands, “Squatterism,” and slavery: Economic interests and the passage of the indian removal act of 1830. Explorations in Economic History , 43 (3), 486-504.
Cave, A. A. (2003). Abuse of power: Andrew Jackson and the Indian removal act of 1830. The Historian , 65 (6), 1330-1353.
