Indian Removal Act And Trail Of Tears Analysis

During the War of 1812, America became involved in a conflict with the Native Americans. The British armed Native Americans to fight the Americans. After this conflict was mostly settled, Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase. Settlers were sent to expand west, but the land the settlers were sent to explore was occupied by Native Americans. Jackson created the Indian Removal Act to get them off the land, leading to the Trail of Tears where Native Americans were forced off their land and taken to Oklahoma. The multiple perspectives of the sources concerning the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears help shape the reader’s view of these events by explaining what happened, the causes of it, and the perspectives of the people involved.
To begin,
In the video Carol Berkin explains how Jackson ended up more powerful than Congress during his presidency. She also explains that even before Andrew Jackson’s presidency, he planned to remove the Native Americans from the land, which shows Jackson’s perspective. An unknown man also said that the Native Americans despised Jackson because of what he did. Carol Berkin explained how Jackson already wanted to move Native Americans off their land, even before his presidency. Jackson becoming president is a cause of the event. Another cause stated in the video is how Andrew Jackson was more powerful than Congress during his presidency. There were some people in Congress like Davy Crockett, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster, who strongly opposed the Indian Removal Act. This was ignored by Jackson and the Indian Removal Act was administered. It shows Jackson’s perspective because he was very passionate about this act and refused to stop it for anyone. When Berkin talks about how Jackson wanted to take Native Americans off their land shows Jackson’s
In the text it says, “On the morning of November the 17th we encountered a terrific sleet and snowstorm with freezing temperatures and from that day until we reached the end of the fateful journey on March the 26th, 1839, the sufferings of the Cherokees were awful… They had to sleep in the wagons and on the ground without fire. And I have known as many as twenty-two of them to die in one night of pneumonia due to ill treatment, cold, and exposure.” This quote shows what happened during the Trail of Tears from a soldier’s point of view. This soldier told about how the Cherokees suffered in the harsh conditions they experienced. They had to walk through sleet, snow storms, and freezing temperatures. The Cherokees had no choice but to sleep in wagons and on the ground, but they couldn’t have fire. About 22 Cherokees die from pneumonia because of the cold, exposure, and ill treatment. They couldn’t have fire, had poor treatment, and many died of sickness every night. Because the soldier was against the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, this person was able to give direct information on what happened without sugar-coating anything. This helps the reader understand the harsh conditions given to Cherokee Indians during this Trail of