history paper
anyone interested in reading/editing my fabulous paper? Emily could I possibly have the name of one of your books...perhaps to beef my works cited page...
The Trail of Tears, A Blemish on American History
The eviction of the five civilized tribes from their land is known as the “Trail of Tears”, a mass migration of Native Americans which had an immeasurable effect on not only their population, but also their lives. From the beginning of the colonies, Native Americans have been treated poorly by white settlers. The Native Americans’ development has been largely affected by the development of the United States as a country. Native American tribes inhabited areas all over the entire land mass, but the “Five Civilized Tribes” were target of the Native American Relocation act. As the bonds between the Americans and Native Americans were slowly severed, the eventual conflict that arose was devastating, a rough translation of what the Cherokee Native Americans called “The land on which we cried”. This resulted in a fairly large land gain for the Americans, but an enormous loss for the Native Americans. Although the Native Americans were simply pushed aside and given a “reservation” to inhabit, further cruelty continued to occur as the expense of these people. Throughout history the Native Americans have been underappreciated and often disregarded; however, this plight seems the best example of the opposition with which they had to contend.
Cruelty towards the Native Americans began as America’s first colonies were settled. Whether it was at Jamestown or Plymouth Rock, colonists claimed the land as theirs and began to settle. Native Americans had no “proof” of ownership of the lands, so obviously it was not considered theirs and soon overtaken. Much of this occurred around the time of the Revolutionary War; after the Treaty of Paris, while Americans received land that technically belonged to the Native Americans. Land disputes between the two groups caused major problems and were often very difficult to settle. With little regard for the Native Americans, colonies expanded and Native Americans were ousted. One example of extreme cruelty is when blankets infected with smallpox were given to Native Americans in hopes of eliminating many of them. White settlers also attempted to “civilize” the Native Americans by forcing them to relinquish their ways and adopt white culture. In addition to this cruelty, Native Americans have often been duped in many confusing policies, such as the court case Cherokee Indians v. Georgia. Bills and treaties throughout American History were made in reference to the land disputes, yet these treaties were often neglected or forgotten and often resulted in Native Americans losing land, property, etc. The Alien and Sedition Act caused many problems for Native Americans, as they were considered neither aliens nor citizens. This meant that the Native Americans had little protection by federal laws and other policies differed from state to state. Early attitudes towards Native Americans is a major factor in later hatred; Americans were instilled with an anti-Native American sentiment that would continue to affect the nation. Had early relations with Native Americans been different, the nation would have been entirely different; however, white supremacy was strong and caused the Native Americans to become a target of future Americans.
As time passed, Native Americans were slowly pushed farther and farther west. This began as white settlers farmed more land and became greedy. As the need for land grew, Americans forced Native Americans out through violence or by making deals, that were often unfair. William Henry Harrison cruelly defeated Native Americans in the Battle of Tippecanoe over a treaty they had not agreed to. The Treaty of Fort Wayne caused many problems between the people of the Indiana Territory and the Native Americans, one of whom being Tecumseh. Harrison’s ultimatum of either leaving or fighting did not please the Native Americans. His harsh treatment became a major catalyst in the Native Americans’ fight with the Americans. However, the American most famous for his ruthlessness when dealing with Native Americans was Andrew Jackson. When told to lead an expedition in Florida, an overzealous Jackson chose to wage war upon the Native American tribes residing there and eventually make a claim on a great deal of the land This became known as the First Seminole War. A mere expedition had become chaos, and Jackson was the cause. Jackson’s cruelty towards Native Americans followed him into his presidency.
Despite a long history of inequality and injustice, the Native Americans were specifically prosecuted during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. The factor system became a tool for Americans to weaken Native Americans. Using this system, Americans made Native Americans more dependant on resources and required them to trade for them. Eventually, the Native Americans needed these resources and the Americans were able to use this to their advantage when dealing with Native Americans. Other examples include the court cases Johnson v. McIntosh and Worcester v. Georgia, which seemed beneficial for Native Americans, but in truth it simply isolated them. In the case of Worcester v. Georgia, Native Americans were ruled in favor of by John Marshall. Georgian Laws were null and void because they did not agree with what the Constitution directed. Jackson cared little because he felt the Constitution did not apply to the Native Americans; he is famously quoted saying “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it”. Johnson v. McIntosh prevented the Native Americans from selling their land. It stated that the Native Americans never really owned their land, they merely inhabited it and when the land was discovered it belonged to the finder. This proved to be another example of White superiority over the Native Americans.
American views of Native Americans changed as a result of all the controversy. Native Americans became subject to more and more cruelty as westward expansion continued. From the beginning of settlement Native Americans had been regarded as savages, and as Americans made advancements towards the west this became an all too common name for Native Americans. Andrew Jackson’s influence seemed to be prevalent in the general hatred towards Native Americans that the people of the United States had; it is Jackson’s opinions that caused a great deal of the Native American abhorrence. During Jackson’s presidency another war erupted between the Native Americans and the Americans. It was known as the Black Hawk War and it occurred as a result of land disputes and treaties. The Native Americans fought, but the Americans won; the violent battles took many Native American lives. Even when surrendering and retreating Native Americans were attacked by troops. This war is similar to all other Native American wars with the United States, they fought over land and violence was always present.
Of all the Native American Tribes, five major groups, known as the Five Civilized Tribes, were monumentally affected by the United States’ actions. These Five Civilized Tribes included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. Each of these troops were culturally different despite being grouped in a single category as “Native Americans”. For example, the Cherokee tribe had developed into an organized nation with its own constitution. The Seminoles, in contrast to the other tribes, were a “refugee camp” for escaped slaves and welcomed all people, thus creating a very diverse culture among them. Ironically, these five tribes had become the most “Europeanized” tribes, which was exactly as settlers had planned from the beginning. The tribes inhabited a great deal of land, mostly populating areas in Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. By gaining control of this land, Americans would be able to use it for farming, developing, etc. As targets of the government, Native Americans in these tribes were about to experience a terrible tragedy.
The Trail of Tears was the result of a longstanding feud with the Native Americans, the American government chose to assert their authority over the “Five Civilized tribes”, and forcibly relocate them to the current-day land of Oklahoma. Native American relocation began with the Removal Act. A close vote in Congress, 103 to 97, allowed the bill to pass. Andrew Jackson also put a great deal of pressure on the congressmen to assure that the bill would be passed. The Removal Act “appropriated money to finance federal negotiations with the southern tribes aimed at relocating them to the west”. Now funded by the federal government, officials attempted to bargain with the Native Americans for their territory. In some cases, Native Americans ceded their land out of confusion, they did not understand the deals they had agreed to. It was also the case that the Native Americans were tricked out of their land by unclear treaties or misinterpretations.
For the Native Americans that remained unyielding, Americans began to forcibly remove them. The Indian Intercourse Act stated that the Five Civilized Tribes had to relocate to the Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma). This act was heavily supported by Andrew Jackson, who was once against the cause of the anti-Native American sentiment. The five tribes had to march from their homes to this territory carrying all of their belongings, all on foot. The distance covered thousands of miles and an enormous amount of Native Americans did not make it to their new grounds. The Choctaws, Creek, and Chickasaws were the first to make this grueling journey, though their stories are not as famous, the strife they had to endure was the exact same as the Cherokee and Seminole.
The Cherokee tribes were not moved as easily as the other three tribes. The Treaty of New Echota was drafted by the United States. The government would pay the tribe five million dollars for their land and moving from their territory to the new land they would receive out in the west. In return, the Cherokee would give up their land to the government. This treaty was never really negotiated, it was imposed on the Cherokee people and, despite being rejected by them, put into effect. The Cherokee march from their land to the Indian Territory is the reason the movement was called the Trail of Tears. American soldiers forced the Cherokee to make this march, forcing them “at bayonet point” to the new land. Of all these Cherokee, thousands died on the way there. It is estimated that about 4,000 Cherokee died while marching to the Indian Territory. Another statistic suggests that of the Cherokee that were forcibly removed, one-fourth of all of them died while marching. Prior to removal, the Cherokees attempted to take their case to court, and it eventually reached the Supreme Court. Here, John Marshall issued a surprising ruling, in favor of the Cherokee people. Despite this hopeful decision, removal was inevitable. There was a small number of Cherokee that were permitted to stay in Georgia and given a reserve. This area is still inhabited by them today.
In contrast to the Cherokee that peaceably tried to prevent relocation, the Seminole Native Americans of Florida resisted white oppression with war. The first Seminole War was around 1817 when Andrew Jackson, then part of the army, invaded Florida and fought with the Native Americans living there. His excuse for his actions was that they had been on the border causing the United States problems and he took “the necessary measures” to end these problems. About two decades later, the next series of Seminole Wars occurred while the group tried to stand up against the removal. In 1835, a leader named Osceola remained in Florida and banded together Seminoles to fight. In a similar fashion to the previous war, Jackson took control and used his resources to oust the Native Americans; yet, the Native Americans managed to resist his attacks and continue fighting. This continued on until 1842, culminating in seven years of conflict, until the government finally saw this was a lost cause. Though the resistance had never been completely defeated, Seminole Native Americans had been severely reduced in population. A total of about twenty million dollars in Federal funds had been invested in this conflict. The Seminole War cost four times as much as the amount of money offered to the Cherokee, a fact that clearly made the Americans views of Native Americans more belligerent and cruel. Traces of Native American population continued to live in Florida and they were never fully removed from their land.
The whole nation was not against the Native Americans, yet it was those who were opposed to them that had their way. For the most part, Andrew Jackson was the driving force of Native American removal, due to his obvious disdain for them. The Indian Removal Act was the cause of much suffering, but there were alternatives to removal. Native Americans and Americans could have coexisted peacefully had laws been clearer as to what the Native American tribal lands were considered. As seen in earlier groups, the Native Americans could live with other Americans or Europeans. These relations could often prove helpful, such as the relations between fur trappers and their Native American wives. Isolation would have been another possible alternative to removal. The factor system had created a group of Native Americans dependent on the government, but by no fault of their own. Prior to this, Native Americans usually functioned well without American resources. A total isolation of the Native Americans would not be necessary, but stricter borders and territorial claims would have been beneficial. Another obvious solution rather than removal was assimilation, which was Thomas Jefferson’s original plan for the Native Americans. As mentioned before, these five tribes had already made some steps to Europeanization; if the Native American groups had become an integral part of society, removal would have never been considered. Sadly, none of these occurred and removal was settled for. It seems the beliefs of Americans kept them from embracing these powerful allies.
The biggest flaw of American thought was that their expansion would not reach the Indian Territory. The number of Americans involved in Westward expansion was growing at a rapid pace, similar to the size of the country. As the population flourished, they spread. Eventually, the Native Americans land was being eyed by American citizens once again. Though this did not become an issue until years later, many Native Americans were disrupted by Americans and their involvement. Though often promised privacy, Native Americans were never truly left alone, Americans were a constant presence in their lives.
During the interim period between being moved and being moved again, the quality of life the Native Americans experienced was far from that of when they lived in their home lands. The Native Americans were ravaged by the journey West and it is estimated that “about 60,000 southeastern Indians were moved to the West, at a cost of about 15,000 lives”. This means that about a quarter of the entire Native American population of these three tribes added together perished in the exodus from their territories. When these tribes began life anew in the Indian Territory, it was very different from their previous lands. The land that the Native Americans were given was “christened the “Great Americans Desert,” unfit for habitation” by early explorers. On this barren land the Native Americans had to adapt and use what little they had taken with them to reestablish themselves as a people. The Native Americans “found themselves simply dumped in an uninhabitable region without food, clothing or shelter”. Once again the Native Americans were on the receiving end of great cruelty and to add insult to injury, aids promised by the Americans was never supplied to the Native Americans. Assistance had disappeared and the Native Americans did not have anyone on whom they could rely.
Despite these trials, Native American tribes were able to rebuild from the ruins of their former lives and grow as a whole. Without disruption, Native Americans farmed and raised livestock. The tribes developed as nations once again; yet this time, they had no federal government to impose laws on them that had very little to do with them. For this brief period of time, Native Americans were able to exist free from most American interaction. This continued on until they would be disrupted once again.
The peaceful lives of the Native Americans came to a halt when the Civil War broke out between the two regions of the United States. Although the location of the Indian Territory was quite southern, Native Americans got involved on both sides of the fighting. Fighting also came to the Native Americans, many battles were fought in the neighboring lands and often leaked into the Territory, despite dubious promises that American disruptions would not be a problem for the Native Americans. With the end of the Civil War came the end of an era; however, this was not the American Era of slavery. The Native Americans had been slowly overtaken by Americans once again.
The question to ask now is, was it all really worth it? Earlier in American history the famous Louisiana Purchase was made. In a deal with France, the United States paid fifteen million dollars for some 530 million acres. The 100 acres of land gained for a payment total of about 68 million dollars pales in comparison. In addition to this, not only did the United States get drastically less for a great deal more, they sacrificed 32 million acres of land (from the Louisiana Purchase) to obtain this land. This 68 million dollars does not even cover the war payment of twenty million dollars for the Seminole War.
Cherokee land did have one amazing benefit; gold. The United States did make a rather smart deal in this aspect. By obtaining the Cherokee land, the gold discovered became their property. Other land, such as the territory gained from the Chikasaw, Choctaw, and Creek, did not seem to have any incredibly good benefits. The Native Americans as a whole had not created a great deal of controversy in these areas and what the United States gained by expelling them was a mere fraction of the land in the West that was in great condition for settling.
As for the Seminole land in Florida, much of the territory had been gained for free from Spain. In the Adams-Onis treaty, John Quincy Adams managed to obtain the Florida territory from Spain for very little. This land was also nothing special. In fact, much of Florida was swampy marshes and land not fir for farming. The land the United States fought for was almost a waste; not only could they not truly utilize it, but Native Americans still resided there. While the Seminoles had become somewhat more peaceful, slaves could still escape to the area and the land went fairly unused. Twenty million dollars and a great deal of soldiers seems like a rather large waste when compared to the “gains” of Native American removal in Florida.
At this time in American history, President Andrew Jackson was waging another war, but this time on the National Bank. During his presidency Jackson destroyed the bank and puts its money into smaller pet banks. However, Jackson did manage to expunge national debt. It seems that the Native American removal had little to do with the economy, but it is possible that it had unnoticed affects. The focus of the Native American removal was far from economic, yet its problems caused a ripple effect that resonated in this seemingly unrelated area. The Panic of 1837 was clearly the fault of Jackson, and mostly caused by the “specie circular”. However, the Seminole War was also being fought around this time, as it did not fully end until 1842. Since the economy is cyclical, it is possible that the boom-and-bust may have had influence from this war. While it is clear that the Seminole War was not a widespread war, it can be deduced that it had some kind of economic effect on the United States.
From a non-economic standpoint, the Native American Removal seems much easier to rationalize. The Americans’ desire to expand was a clear driving force for the expansion. Manifest Destiny, the belief that American culture was supreme and needed to be spread, was a part of this need to expand. An underlying racism against the Native Americans also contributed to their removal. Andrew Jackson was the figurehead of such racism, he had a clear disdain for Native Americans that seems unjustifiable. It may be that this was simply an action inspired by convenience; Native Americans caused too many problems for the American government and they grew weary of trying to referee the disputes brought to them. By removing Native Americans, the government solved one of their most pressing issues. Of all these possible causes, most are related to greed. Americans were greedy, and therefore, wanted more. More land eventually translated into more money, which was always a good thing. While this may be mere speculation, there is some truth to every reason presented; this removal is easy to analyze on the surface, but after going deeper it can be found that there have been effects stretching to even the most obscure aspects of American history.
The Trail of Tears was directed at the Five Civilized Tribes, but its affects reached all the way out to the very Americans who had caused it. The Native Americans’ relations with the colonists began an underlying attitude of Native American inferiority among the people. As Americans developed their nation, their views on Native Americans remained constant. A product of this taught hatred was Andrew Jackson. He specifically targeted the Native Americans during his life time and sought to eliminate them. The benefits that Jackson aimed for were acquired, the Native Americans had been banished to a far away land and their land became property of the United States. Jackson, however, failed to see that this expulsion would affect all aspects of American life. Wars, treaties, and settlements accumulated a large amount of debt for the United States that brought on economic troubles. American and Native American lives were lost due to the many wars and skirmishes that occurred. While the cause of Native American problem seems very abstract, it can be pinpointed to the early attitudes of colonists and Jackson’s influence on the government. Despite having many obvious affects, the Trail of Tears also had influence over many seemingly unrelated aspects of life, like the economy. The removal of the Native Americans was a product of racism that remains one of the lowest points of American History.
The Trail of Tears, A Blemish on American History
The eviction of the five civilized tribes from their land is known as the “Trail of Tears”, a mass migration of Native Americans which had an immeasurable effect on not only their population, but also their lives. From the beginning of the colonies, Native Americans have been treated poorly by white settlers. The Native Americans’ development has been largely affected by the development of the United States as a country. Native American tribes inhabited areas all over the entire land mass, but the “Five Civilized Tribes” were target of the Native American Relocation act. As the bonds between the Americans and Native Americans were slowly severed, the eventual conflict that arose was devastating, a rough translation of what the Cherokee Native Americans called “The land on which we cried”. This resulted in a fairly large land gain for the Americans, but an enormous loss for the Native Americans. Although the Native Americans were simply pushed aside and given a “reservation” to inhabit, further cruelty continued to occur as the expense of these people. Throughout history the Native Americans have been underappreciated and often disregarded; however, this plight seems the best example of the opposition with which they had to contend.
Cruelty towards the Native Americans began as America’s first colonies were settled. Whether it was at Jamestown or Plymouth Rock, colonists claimed the land as theirs and began to settle. Native Americans had no “proof” of ownership of the lands, so obviously it was not considered theirs and soon overtaken. Much of this occurred around the time of the Revolutionary War; after the Treaty of Paris, while Americans received land that technically belonged to the Native Americans. Land disputes between the two groups caused major problems and were often very difficult to settle. With little regard for the Native Americans, colonies expanded and Native Americans were ousted. One example of extreme cruelty is when blankets infected with smallpox were given to Native Americans in hopes of eliminating many of them. White settlers also attempted to “civilize” the Native Americans by forcing them to relinquish their ways and adopt white culture. In addition to this cruelty, Native Americans have often been duped in many confusing policies, such as the court case Cherokee Indians v. Georgia. Bills and treaties throughout American History were made in reference to the land disputes, yet these treaties were often neglected or forgotten and often resulted in Native Americans losing land, property, etc. The Alien and Sedition Act caused many problems for Native Americans, as they were considered neither aliens nor citizens. This meant that the Native Americans had little protection by federal laws and other policies differed from state to state. Early attitudes towards Native Americans is a major factor in later hatred; Americans were instilled with an anti-Native American sentiment that would continue to affect the nation. Had early relations with Native Americans been different, the nation would have been entirely different; however, white supremacy was strong and caused the Native Americans to become a target of future Americans.
As time passed, Native Americans were slowly pushed farther and farther west. This began as white settlers farmed more land and became greedy. As the need for land grew, Americans forced Native Americans out through violence or by making deals, that were often unfair. William Henry Harrison cruelly defeated Native Americans in the Battle of Tippecanoe over a treaty they had not agreed to. The Treaty of Fort Wayne caused many problems between the people of the Indiana Territory and the Native Americans, one of whom being Tecumseh. Harrison’s ultimatum of either leaving or fighting did not please the Native Americans. His harsh treatment became a major catalyst in the Native Americans’ fight with the Americans. However, the American most famous for his ruthlessness when dealing with Native Americans was Andrew Jackson. When told to lead an expedition in Florida, an overzealous Jackson chose to wage war upon the Native American tribes residing there and eventually make a claim on a great deal of the land This became known as the First Seminole War. A mere expedition had become chaos, and Jackson was the cause. Jackson’s cruelty towards Native Americans followed him into his presidency.
Despite a long history of inequality and injustice, the Native Americans were specifically prosecuted during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. The factor system became a tool for Americans to weaken Native Americans. Using this system, Americans made Native Americans more dependant on resources and required them to trade for them. Eventually, the Native Americans needed these resources and the Americans were able to use this to their advantage when dealing with Native Americans. Other examples include the court cases Johnson v. McIntosh and Worcester v. Georgia, which seemed beneficial for Native Americans, but in truth it simply isolated them. In the case of Worcester v. Georgia, Native Americans were ruled in favor of by John Marshall. Georgian Laws were null and void because they did not agree with what the Constitution directed. Jackson cared little because he felt the Constitution did not apply to the Native Americans; he is famously quoted saying “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it”. Johnson v. McIntosh prevented the Native Americans from selling their land. It stated that the Native Americans never really owned their land, they merely inhabited it and when the land was discovered it belonged to the finder. This proved to be another example of White superiority over the Native Americans.
American views of Native Americans changed as a result of all the controversy. Native Americans became subject to more and more cruelty as westward expansion continued. From the beginning of settlement Native Americans had been regarded as savages, and as Americans made advancements towards the west this became an all too common name for Native Americans. Andrew Jackson’s influence seemed to be prevalent in the general hatred towards Native Americans that the people of the United States had; it is Jackson’s opinions that caused a great deal of the Native American abhorrence. During Jackson’s presidency another war erupted between the Native Americans and the Americans. It was known as the Black Hawk War and it occurred as a result of land disputes and treaties. The Native Americans fought, but the Americans won; the violent battles took many Native American lives. Even when surrendering and retreating Native Americans were attacked by troops. This war is similar to all other Native American wars with the United States, they fought over land and violence was always present.
Of all the Native American Tribes, five major groups, known as the Five Civilized Tribes, were monumentally affected by the United States’ actions. These Five Civilized Tribes included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. Each of these troops were culturally different despite being grouped in a single category as “Native Americans”. For example, the Cherokee tribe had developed into an organized nation with its own constitution. The Seminoles, in contrast to the other tribes, were a “refugee camp” for escaped slaves and welcomed all people, thus creating a very diverse culture among them. Ironically, these five tribes had become the most “Europeanized” tribes, which was exactly as settlers had planned from the beginning. The tribes inhabited a great deal of land, mostly populating areas in Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. By gaining control of this land, Americans would be able to use it for farming, developing, etc. As targets of the government, Native Americans in these tribes were about to experience a terrible tragedy.
The Trail of Tears was the result of a longstanding feud with the Native Americans, the American government chose to assert their authority over the “Five Civilized tribes”, and forcibly relocate them to the current-day land of Oklahoma. Native American relocation began with the Removal Act. A close vote in Congress, 103 to 97, allowed the bill to pass. Andrew Jackson also put a great deal of pressure on the congressmen to assure that the bill would be passed. The Removal Act “appropriated money to finance federal negotiations with the southern tribes aimed at relocating them to the west”. Now funded by the federal government, officials attempted to bargain with the Native Americans for their territory. In some cases, Native Americans ceded their land out of confusion, they did not understand the deals they had agreed to. It was also the case that the Native Americans were tricked out of their land by unclear treaties or misinterpretations.
For the Native Americans that remained unyielding, Americans began to forcibly remove them. The Indian Intercourse Act stated that the Five Civilized Tribes had to relocate to the Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma). This act was heavily supported by Andrew Jackson, who was once against the cause of the anti-Native American sentiment. The five tribes had to march from their homes to this territory carrying all of their belongings, all on foot. The distance covered thousands of miles and an enormous amount of Native Americans did not make it to their new grounds. The Choctaws, Creek, and Chickasaws were the first to make this grueling journey, though their stories are not as famous, the strife they had to endure was the exact same as the Cherokee and Seminole.
The Cherokee tribes were not moved as easily as the other three tribes. The Treaty of New Echota was drafted by the United States. The government would pay the tribe five million dollars for their land and moving from their territory to the new land they would receive out in the west. In return, the Cherokee would give up their land to the government. This treaty was never really negotiated, it was imposed on the Cherokee people and, despite being rejected by them, put into effect. The Cherokee march from their land to the Indian Territory is the reason the movement was called the Trail of Tears. American soldiers forced the Cherokee to make this march, forcing them “at bayonet point” to the new land. Of all these Cherokee, thousands died on the way there. It is estimated that about 4,000 Cherokee died while marching to the Indian Territory. Another statistic suggests that of the Cherokee that were forcibly removed, one-fourth of all of them died while marching. Prior to removal, the Cherokees attempted to take their case to court, and it eventually reached the Supreme Court. Here, John Marshall issued a surprising ruling, in favor of the Cherokee people. Despite this hopeful decision, removal was inevitable. There was a small number of Cherokee that were permitted to stay in Georgia and given a reserve. This area is still inhabited by them today.
In contrast to the Cherokee that peaceably tried to prevent relocation, the Seminole Native Americans of Florida resisted white oppression with war. The first Seminole War was around 1817 when Andrew Jackson, then part of the army, invaded Florida and fought with the Native Americans living there. His excuse for his actions was that they had been on the border causing the United States problems and he took “the necessary measures” to end these problems. About two decades later, the next series of Seminole Wars occurred while the group tried to stand up against the removal. In 1835, a leader named Osceola remained in Florida and banded together Seminoles to fight. In a similar fashion to the previous war, Jackson took control and used his resources to oust the Native Americans; yet, the Native Americans managed to resist his attacks and continue fighting. This continued on until 1842, culminating in seven years of conflict, until the government finally saw this was a lost cause. Though the resistance had never been completely defeated, Seminole Native Americans had been severely reduced in population. A total of about twenty million dollars in Federal funds had been invested in this conflict. The Seminole War cost four times as much as the amount of money offered to the Cherokee, a fact that clearly made the Americans views of Native Americans more belligerent and cruel. Traces of Native American population continued to live in Florida and they were never fully removed from their land.
The whole nation was not against the Native Americans, yet it was those who were opposed to them that had their way. For the most part, Andrew Jackson was the driving force of Native American removal, due to his obvious disdain for them. The Indian Removal Act was the cause of much suffering, but there were alternatives to removal. Native Americans and Americans could have coexisted peacefully had laws been clearer as to what the Native American tribal lands were considered. As seen in earlier groups, the Native Americans could live with other Americans or Europeans. These relations could often prove helpful, such as the relations between fur trappers and their Native American wives. Isolation would have been another possible alternative to removal. The factor system had created a group of Native Americans dependent on the government, but by no fault of their own. Prior to this, Native Americans usually functioned well without American resources. A total isolation of the Native Americans would not be necessary, but stricter borders and territorial claims would have been beneficial. Another obvious solution rather than removal was assimilation, which was Thomas Jefferson’s original plan for the Native Americans. As mentioned before, these five tribes had already made some steps to Europeanization; if the Native American groups had become an integral part of society, removal would have never been considered. Sadly, none of these occurred and removal was settled for. It seems the beliefs of Americans kept them from embracing these powerful allies.
The biggest flaw of American thought was that their expansion would not reach the Indian Territory. The number of Americans involved in Westward expansion was growing at a rapid pace, similar to the size of the country. As the population flourished, they spread. Eventually, the Native Americans land was being eyed by American citizens once again. Though this did not become an issue until years later, many Native Americans were disrupted by Americans and their involvement. Though often promised privacy, Native Americans were never truly left alone, Americans were a constant presence in their lives.
During the interim period between being moved and being moved again, the quality of life the Native Americans experienced was far from that of when they lived in their home lands. The Native Americans were ravaged by the journey West and it is estimated that “about 60,000 southeastern Indians were moved to the West, at a cost of about 15,000 lives”. This means that about a quarter of the entire Native American population of these three tribes added together perished in the exodus from their territories. When these tribes began life anew in the Indian Territory, it was very different from their previous lands. The land that the Native Americans were given was “christened the “Great Americans Desert,” unfit for habitation” by early explorers. On this barren land the Native Americans had to adapt and use what little they had taken with them to reestablish themselves as a people. The Native Americans “found themselves simply dumped in an uninhabitable region without food, clothing or shelter”. Once again the Native Americans were on the receiving end of great cruelty and to add insult to injury, aids promised by the Americans was never supplied to the Native Americans. Assistance had disappeared and the Native Americans did not have anyone on whom they could rely.
Despite these trials, Native American tribes were able to rebuild from the ruins of their former lives and grow as a whole. Without disruption, Native Americans farmed and raised livestock. The tribes developed as nations once again; yet this time, they had no federal government to impose laws on them that had very little to do with them. For this brief period of time, Native Americans were able to exist free from most American interaction. This continued on until they would be disrupted once again.
The peaceful lives of the Native Americans came to a halt when the Civil War broke out between the two regions of the United States. Although the location of the Indian Territory was quite southern, Native Americans got involved on both sides of the fighting. Fighting also came to the Native Americans, many battles were fought in the neighboring lands and often leaked into the Territory, despite dubious promises that American disruptions would not be a problem for the Native Americans. With the end of the Civil War came the end of an era; however, this was not the American Era of slavery. The Native Americans had been slowly overtaken by Americans once again.
The question to ask now is, was it all really worth it? Earlier in American history the famous Louisiana Purchase was made. In a deal with France, the United States paid fifteen million dollars for some 530 million acres. The 100 acres of land gained for a payment total of about 68 million dollars pales in comparison. In addition to this, not only did the United States get drastically less for a great deal more, they sacrificed 32 million acres of land (from the Louisiana Purchase) to obtain this land. This 68 million dollars does not even cover the war payment of twenty million dollars for the Seminole War.
Cherokee land did have one amazing benefit; gold. The United States did make a rather smart deal in this aspect. By obtaining the Cherokee land, the gold discovered became their property. Other land, such as the territory gained from the Chikasaw, Choctaw, and Creek, did not seem to have any incredibly good benefits. The Native Americans as a whole had not created a great deal of controversy in these areas and what the United States gained by expelling them was a mere fraction of the land in the West that was in great condition for settling.
As for the Seminole land in Florida, much of the territory had been gained for free from Spain. In the Adams-Onis treaty, John Quincy Adams managed to obtain the Florida territory from Spain for very little. This land was also nothing special. In fact, much of Florida was swampy marshes and land not fir for farming. The land the United States fought for was almost a waste; not only could they not truly utilize it, but Native Americans still resided there. While the Seminoles had become somewhat more peaceful, slaves could still escape to the area and the land went fairly unused. Twenty million dollars and a great deal of soldiers seems like a rather large waste when compared to the “gains” of Native American removal in Florida.
At this time in American history, President Andrew Jackson was waging another war, but this time on the National Bank. During his presidency Jackson destroyed the bank and puts its money into smaller pet banks. However, Jackson did manage to expunge national debt. It seems that the Native American removal had little to do with the economy, but it is possible that it had unnoticed affects. The focus of the Native American removal was far from economic, yet its problems caused a ripple effect that resonated in this seemingly unrelated area. The Panic of 1837 was clearly the fault of Jackson, and mostly caused by the “specie circular”. However, the Seminole War was also being fought around this time, as it did not fully end until 1842. Since the economy is cyclical, it is possible that the boom-and-bust may have had influence from this war. While it is clear that the Seminole War was not a widespread war, it can be deduced that it had some kind of economic effect on the United States.
From a non-economic standpoint, the Native American Removal seems much easier to rationalize. The Americans’ desire to expand was a clear driving force for the expansion. Manifest Destiny, the belief that American culture was supreme and needed to be spread, was a part of this need to expand. An underlying racism against the Native Americans also contributed to their removal. Andrew Jackson was the figurehead of such racism, he had a clear disdain for Native Americans that seems unjustifiable. It may be that this was simply an action inspired by convenience; Native Americans caused too many problems for the American government and they grew weary of trying to referee the disputes brought to them. By removing Native Americans, the government solved one of their most pressing issues. Of all these possible causes, most are related to greed. Americans were greedy, and therefore, wanted more. More land eventually translated into more money, which was always a good thing. While this may be mere speculation, there is some truth to every reason presented; this removal is easy to analyze on the surface, but after going deeper it can be found that there have been effects stretching to even the most obscure aspects of American history.
The Trail of Tears was directed at the Five Civilized Tribes, but its affects reached all the way out to the very Americans who had caused it. The Native Americans’ relations with the colonists began an underlying attitude of Native American inferiority among the people. As Americans developed their nation, their views on Native Americans remained constant. A product of this taught hatred was Andrew Jackson. He specifically targeted the Native Americans during his life time and sought to eliminate them. The benefits that Jackson aimed for were acquired, the Native Americans had been banished to a far away land and their land became property of the United States. Jackson, however, failed to see that this expulsion would affect all aspects of American life. Wars, treaties, and settlements accumulated a large amount of debt for the United States that brought on economic troubles. American and Native American lives were lost due to the many wars and skirmishes that occurred. While the cause of Native American problem seems very abstract, it can be pinpointed to the early attitudes of colonists and Jackson’s influence on the government. Despite having many obvious affects, the Trail of Tears also had influence over many seemingly unrelated aspects of life, like the economy. The removal of the Native Americans was a product of racism that remains one of the lowest points of American History.