Indian Removal Act
No Name
Mrs. McNul
US History H
18 January 2013
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and its Consequences Native American’s existed in the New World long before the Europeans “discovered” it. But a few decades after they arrived, they began to remove Native Americans from their rightful homeland. In the year of 1830, Andrew Jackson embarked on a policy of Native American removal. Due to Andrew Jackson’s Native American policy, the Indian Removal Act was put into action, causing much hardship for the Natives. This act would have lasting consequences influencing future policy and resulting in the Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson sincerely believed that in order to have a perfect nation, it was needed to remove the Indians to the west side of the Mississippi River. He went to Congress and with his first annual message addressing his case of the Removal Act on December 8, 1829; he announced that “The consequences of a speedy removal will be important to the United States, to individual States, and to the Indians themselves. The pecuniary advantages which it Promises to the Government are the least of its recommendations. It puts an end to all possible danger of collision between the authorities of the General and State Governments on account of the Indians”(Shmoop Editorial Team; Indian Policies). As you can see, Jackson thought that if the Natives were removed from the east side of the Mississippi River, it would prevention issues between the Federal and State Governments; also providing economic advantages. Not only did the President feel that it would help fiscally and prevent problems between the Governments, he also felt that it would help civilization and population. Jackson thought it would leave more room for the whites and hopefully causing the Indians “to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community” (Shmoop Editorial Team; Indian Policies). This meant that by using this policy, it would cause the
Mrs. McNul
US History H
18 January 2013
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and its Consequences Native American’s existed in the New World long before the Europeans “discovered” it. But a few decades after they arrived, they began to remove Native Americans from their rightful homeland. In the year of 1830, Andrew Jackson embarked on a policy of Native American removal. Due to Andrew Jackson’s Native American policy, the Indian Removal Act was put into action, causing much hardship for the Natives. This act would have lasting consequences influencing future policy and resulting in the Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson sincerely believed that in order to have a perfect nation, it was needed to remove the Indians to the west side of the Mississippi River. He went to Congress and with his first annual message addressing his case of the Removal Act on December 8, 1829; he announced that “The consequences of a speedy removal will be important to the United States, to individual States, and to the Indians themselves. The pecuniary advantages which it Promises to the Government are the least of its recommendations. It puts an end to all possible danger of collision between the authorities of the General and State Governments on account of the Indians”(Shmoop Editorial Team; Indian Policies). As you can see, Jackson thought that if the Natives were removed from the east side of the Mississippi River, it would prevention issues between the Federal and State Governments; also providing economic advantages. Not only did the President feel that it would help fiscally and prevent problems between the Governments, he also felt that it would help civilization and population. Jackson thought it would leave more room for the whites and hopefully causing the Indians “to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community” (Shmoop Editorial Team; Indian Policies). This meant that by using this policy, it would cause the
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