Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Policy

President Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy in the 1830’s raised many questions as to whether or not it was constitutional. To start off the Indian removal policy was a law that authorized the president to negotiate with southern tribes for them to remove themselves to federal territory west of the Mississippi river in return for their native land that they occupied. Although, it was basically mandatory that the indians move from their lands there were different responses to the removal policy. One response was from the southerners who wanted to occupy the lands that the indians were on and the other was from the christian missionaries who felt the need to support the indians right to the land and the indians who lived on the lands who
did not want to leave because they felt that the they had rights to the lands since they were first to settle. Even though it seemed like there was a decision to move from their lands or not there really wasn’t because the United States was expanding at the time and southerners wanted to take over the land, so in that point the indians were just a piece in the way of a country’s growth. When the decision was made to move the indians forcefully due to the law passed by Andrew Jackson it had dire consequences because many indians died in the Trail of Tears.
They died because of the long distance that the indians had to travel which ended up being for the very few who survived about 2200 miles long. Also, while on the Trail of Tears the indians were exposed to terrible and horrific conditions. Some of the conditions that the indians were exposed to were the harsh winter winds and cold and the lack of proper nutrition from the scarce amounts of water and food they were given daily. On a daily basis on the Trail of Tears the indians were given two cups of hot water to drink, a piece of cornbread, and one turnip to eat. As a result, many died because they could not maintain proper body weight or proper health to sustain the long hikes along the path to their new land. Also, during the winter time on the Trail of Tears many indians died from the cold and harsh winds that the winter brought because most indians did not have much clothing and they were not given clothing by the trail guards. Another, cause of the casualties of the indians on the trail is dehydration because when the water that trail guards provided ran out then the travelers were only allowed to drink from a freshwater source when one was walked past on the trail, and because of this many died since the distance between fresh water sources varied in
distances. Also, when Andrew Jackson signed for the law to be passed he at the time was a supporter of moving settlers into Indian territories. He also believed the US government would improve their economy and boost industrial business by gaining this land. When this happened it brought forth much needed expansion to the United States territory control and expansion in the economy for the Americans. It brought forth industries being built and money flow to increase across new territories of the United States. Within all the lives lost on the Trail of Tears and the suffering that the indians endured throughout their lives in the new territory that they were moved to, the Indian Removal Act did more good than it did harm for the country of the United States. It did more good for the United States because it allowed for economy to flourish in the western expansion because it opened up new opportunities to business men and women. Although, lives were lost in the process and land was taken away peacefully and forcefully the indians were moved for the greater cause because helped the United States and the indians because Jackson promised protection for the indians living in the Indian Territory. The decision to pass the Indian Removal Act was a decision that was made so that the majority of people could benefit off of the movement.
At the time President Andrew Jackson wanted the United States to expand their territory westward and the only way to do that was to move the minority which were the indian tribes farther west, so that more Americans could settle in the west past the Mississippi river and expand the economy and nation. Also, many ask whether or not the Indian Removal Act would have been passed if the law would have been up for vote. Being that southerners wanted to move into the west to expand and some northerners did too, then I think that the majority of the votes would have pushed the law through and it would have been passed like it already was. Although, there would also be a fair share of those who opposed since American citizens wanted the indians to keep their land because of what they believed in. Another, issue that arises when historians talk about the Indian Removal Act is that what values and whose needs were meet when the decision was made. The values that were meet were in the eyes of the American dream to keep expanding from sea to sea. Also, the needs that were met were the needs from both sides but the majority of the needs met were the ones from the Americans because they got land and prosperity out of the law, while the indians got a long and dreadful experience across the country to their new lands that were protected by the American
government. Lastly, the human rights that were violated under the Indian Removal Act were the Cherokees’ rights because their freedoms and their land were essentially taken away without their permission. Also, the Cherokee nation was measured as inferior to the white man and the federal government, so throughout the process they were handled at a level lower than livestock.