Indian Removal Act

Indian Removal Act

Do you think that the removal process proved to be voluntary or coerced? If the latter, was President Jackson abusing his presidential powers in administrating this removal act?

President Jackson coerced the Indians from their land and abused his powers in administering the removal act. The removal of the Indians was meant to be done voluntarily and peacefully. Initially, it was so for the Indian tribes that had agreed to move on the terms stipulated. However, resistance arose from the South Eastern nations, resulting in Jackson taking firm action and forcing them to vacate their land. The President had, in my opinion, a condescending and paternalistic attitude. He described the resisting tribes as mere children who needed to be guided (Cave, 2003). He also believed the removal policy was a great benefit to the Indians.

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Stewart (2007) points out that most Caucasian Americans thought the US expansion would not surpass Mississippi. By removing the Indians, they would be spared from the Whites’ depredations and would have the Indians resettled in areas where they would live in peace and have independent self-governance. However, some Americans viewed this as Jackson’s excuse to take inhumane and brutal action and thus made loud protests against the Indian removal.

However, these protests did not do much to save the Indians from eviction. The Choctaws first signed the removal treaty, but some decided to remain in Mississippi under the Removal Act terms stipulated. The War Department tried to protect the Indians, but this did not stop the Whites from cheating the Choctaws from their land or squatting on the same. Not long before, the remaining Choctaws became weary of the white’s mistreatment and thus opted to sell off their land, choosing to migrate to the West (Stewart, 2007). Additionally, Jackson’s troops waged war against the Seminoles, and it was after the Third Seminole War of 1855 to 1858 that the US finally opted to pay the Seminoles that had remained for the latter to move to the West.

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References

Cave, A. A. (2003). Abuse of power: Andrew Jackson and the Indian removal act of 1830. The Historian, 65(6), 1330-1353.

Stewart, M. (2007). The Indian Removal Act. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books.

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The Indian Removal Act

Section 1 of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 (text, p. 214) states that the President may divide land west of the Mississippi River into parcels “for the reception of such tribes or nations of Indians as may choose to exchange lands where they now reside, and to remove there… .”

Indian Removal Act

This language can be reasonably read to intend a voluntary land exchange with the Southeastern Native American tribes.

• Do you think that the removal process proved to be voluntary or coerced? If the latter, was President Jackson abusing his presidential powers in administrating this removal act? Feel free to research this issue and argue from the research results.