Want to learn more about the Indian Removal Act? Read on for a historical overview of this controversial government policy initiated by President Andrew Jackson for the removal of Indians from their homelands…
The Indian removal act is regarded as being one of the most controversial government policies ever initiated by the United States government. The then-President Andrew Jackson was responsible for initiating this policy and making it part of the law in 1829
As the name suggests the object of the policy was to drive out Native American Indians from their historical homeland. The southern states in particular were very supportive of the removal act as the will to take over regions that had been inhabited by the Five Civilized Tribes was at full mass.
Giorgio was at the center of the battlefield between the conflicts that arose between the Cherokee tribe and the state. This was the largest state at that time and was entangled in a complex jurisdictional dispute. With the Indian removal act President Andrew Jackson wanted to successfully resolve the Georgia crisis once and for all.
The Controversy
According to the Indian removal act only those Indians would be supported to migrate who themselves volunteered to let go of their historical homeland. In practice however the state employed severe pressure upon the leaders of various American Indian tribes in order to get them to sign the removal treaties. The moment this treaty was signed it was clear that the native Indians would have to evacuate their homelands irrespective of whether they wanted to or not.
Native American leaders from certain areas had put up fierce resistance in the past. However they began to reconsider at this moment in time because of the landslide election of Pres. Jackson in the year 1832. They understood that the president had the majority behind him with regards to the Indian removal act and to put up resistance would be to expose the entire tribe to grave danger.
Support and Opposition
The bulk of the European American population was in favor of the Indian removal act while there were many other groups that stood up in opposition. Many Christian missionary organizations went forward to protest against the passing of the Treaty. Jeremiah Evarts was one of the leading Christian missionaries that launched a full-fledged campaign against the passing of the act. Theodore Frelinghuysen, the senator of Jersey at that time was also amongst the government officials that opposed the policy. Congressman David Crockett of Tennessee was also amongst those that raised their voice against the passing of the legislation. Nonetheless the Indian removal act was eventually passed although much debate took place in the Congress.
With the Indian removal act in place Native Americans were reluctantly forced to migrate towards the western regions of America. More than often the state used force to drive out the natives from their historical homelands. The Treaty of the dancing rabbit Creek is remembered as the first official treaty signed under the Indian removal act. Following this successive treaties were signed by many tribes where as others had to be forced to migrate.
