THE INDIAN REMOVAL ACT

The Indian removal act was passed in 1830 It gave the government the ability to trade land

with the Native Americans Andrew Jackson attempted to use force to move

them, but the Supreme court ruled against it because the act said trade land

Andrew Jackson decided to ignore the supreme court ruling and use force anyway because he could get away with it

The federal government compensated the native Americans but most of the time it was not fair

What was the Indian Removal Act?

Originally Andrew Jackson was all for Indian rights, fairness, and well being

Only 14 months later Jackson prompted congress to pass the Indian Removal Act

Who passed the Indian Removal Act?

Most have enough money for luxuries such as: comfortable homes, nice automobiles, plumbing, and good food

Have an average income of about $77,000 Can live anywhere they want Are treated fairly

Living Conditions of Average Americans

More than 30% of Native Americans are overcrowded

Less than 50% are connected to a public sewer

Native Americans are 600% more likely to die of heart disease, 226% more likely to die of diabetes, 600% more likely to die of tuberculosis, than other Americans

Reserves are only positioned in small clusters throughout the country, on poor land

Living Conditions of Native Americans

About 900,000 Native Americans were removed out of their home and relocated to poor land

The IRA has sent a shockwave to the Native Americans that is still in effect today

Settlers were able to move west of the Mississippi on to the Native’s old territory and expand America

Results of The Indian Removal Act

The act was not justified because the act said that the government could only trade land with the Native Americans, not use military force to make them move off of their land. Yet, Jackson went against the Supreme Court ruling and sent military force to forcefully relocate the Natives. Despite this, when Jackson left office he was proud to have “solved” the Native American problem for good when all he did was move the problem across the Mississippi River. Therefore, the act was not justified because of how it was performed.

So was the Indian Removal Act justified or not?

Primary Sources: http://research.archives.gov/description/595556,http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=255141,

Secondary Sources: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7402, http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=airc_livingconditions,http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/native_american.html

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