With demand for the Native Americans to be gone so high, Jackson was left with few choices. He believed population transfer was truly the only humane way for progress to take place and to preserve the Native American culture all at once. It was the Senate that passed the
bill in 1830—Jackson only signed it into law.
Jackson advocated for the kind and humane treatment of Native Americans, and participated himself in negotiations and treaties. He met with John Ridge, a representative of the Cherokees, to come to an agreement and wrote a new treaty. It was due to other escalations outside of Jackson’s control that led to the Trail of Tears, such as settlement disputes with new farmers, and military actions from strict generals.
President Andrew Jackson has been a figure of great controversy and debate for his role in the Indian Removal Act. While he did sign the bill into law, it was developed and voted upon by Senate. .Jackson attempted to maintain peace, eliminating conflict between non-natives and the tribes by separating them. By doing so, he intended the Native American tribes to be separate from the States and the American government, letting them preserve their way of life. With his intentions in mind, Andrew Jackson is not responsible for the outcome of the Indian Removal Act.