Andrew Jackson's Hateful Stance on Indians in Indian Removal Act

Introduction

There is no doubt that Andrew Jackson had a strong hatred for all Indians during his era. His hatred was so strong that he made the removal of these tribes one of his main priorities. Jackson thought the absolute worst about the Indians and acted as if they were going to hinder the growth of the United States. His actions and hatred of them have caused me to believe that he was threatened by them. Throughout the Andrew Jackson era, we get to dive deeper into his thoughts on Indian tribes and see how he accomplished the Indian Removal.

Andrew Jackson's Hateful Stance on Indians in the Indian Removal Act

Many believe that his hatred of the Indians ran deep because of the violent history he had with them. He had fought two major tribes: the Creek in 1813 and the Seminole in 1817 (Corbett, 2014, p. 287). Because of his past, he pursued the removal of Indians for about 30 years. His opinion on the Indians wasn't just because of his past; he also felt that their way of living wasn’t very progressive. Their way of life typically revolved around natural elements, but Jackson knew that inventions were evolving into a more industrialized state. His outlook was correct, and over centuries, the United States began to become more industrialized. However, nature has suffered dramatically because of this exact way of thinking. In Jackson’s eyes, forests weren’t meant to stay; instead, they were there to help grow cities and create farmland. The removal of Indians would be a win-win on both sides, according to him. The whites would have more land and open borders to prevent future invasions, while the Indians could migrate to a place where they could possibly maintain their lifestyles longer.

The Enactment of the Indian Removal

The Indian Removal was enacted by Andrew Jackson himself, and the goal was to push them out West so that the whites had clear access to protect the borders. Jackson offered the Indians a way to leave without repercussions or bloodshed, which he considered to be generous despite the fact that he was forcing them out of their homes. These tribes were still refusing to leave in 1834, but they weren’t grasping the fact that it was an inevitable move. With their refusal, Jackson stated, “Every year adds to the conviction that emigration, and that alone, can preserve from destruction remnant of the tribes yet living amongst us” (Jackson, 1834). This clearly states that he wanted the Indians out immediately, and if they did not comply, they would face consequences. For example, some of the Cherokees were moving, but many stayed. This initiated military forces to act and force them to be removed. This was a horrific act by Andrew Jackson, which caused the deaths of thousands of Cherokee members, known as the Trail of Tears.

The Paradox of Jackson's Views

What was very interesting during the Jacksonian Era was that he thought the Cherokees were similar to his own people. They lived similar lives to the white man. Some owned slaves, but they were all English-speaking and Christian. This proved to make them look more civilized. Jackson was set in his ways of thinking and did not pretend to respect the treaties with the Indian Tribes. His ideas about the Indians never really changed and continued for removal.

The Legal Battles of the Cherokee

The Five Civilized Tribes consist of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. Due to the Removal Act being passed and these tribes being forced to move West, the Cherokee took this to court in 1831, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia. They had the support of Anti-Jackson Congress members, including Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, but still lost because the courts ruled them as not a foreign nation (Corbett, 2014, p. 287). The Cherokee did not stop and pursued another case in the high courts (Worcester v. Georgia). Worcester was a Christian missionary who lived amongst the Cherokee and experienced their way of life. He developed a relationship with their culture and opposed the Removal. This case caused controversy because he violated a law of living on Indian land, but his job required him to do so. The case ended badly for him. Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in favor of Worcester because he said that “the Cherokee are distinct political communities” (Corbett, 2014, p. 289). Meaning that the Cherokee have sovereign rights to their Territory.

Conclusion

Andrew Jackson wasn’t necessarily out for blood. In my opinion, he was generous about the removal because he could have made it a war from the beginning. He had no valid reason for hating the Indian tribes; he was just racist and selfish. His idea of solving the problem was making them migrate West for what he thought was the good of the Nation. I don’t believe the Indians would have hindered the growth of the states; rather, they could have worked together to grow. Jackson's era proved how much hatred and fear whites had towards the Indians.

References

Corbett, P. S., et al. (2014). U.S. History. OpenStax.

Jackson, A. (1834). 6th Annual Message.