...his stubborn support of Indian removal provoked controversy not only in the Indian tribes, but also among the American community. Jackson's refusal to respect the independence of the Cherokee tribe, allowed the state of Georgia to assert its jurisdiction over the Cherokees. With Andrew Jackson's assistance, Indian Removal Act of 1830 was passed which authorized the relocation of eastern Indian tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River. President Andrew Jackson was the main supporter of the removal of Indian tribes in order to give their lands to whites. Cherokee Nation was forced from its land, mainly as a result of the discovery of gold within their territory. Both the white Americans and the Cherokees had various opinions on Indian removal - some opposed and many supported it with a range of different arguments. Insatiable craving for foreign soil remained the primary cause, even though many people believed that the removal of Indians was the only way to save them from the extinction. While the Indians lived in close proximity to whites, they died as a result of...
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...Andrew Jackson: Evil Tyrant or a Hero for the Common Man? Name: _________________________________________________________ Class: ________________ Guiding Question: Our study of Jackson’s presidency will be focused on answering the question: Was Andrew Jackson an evil tyrant who abused presidential power, ruthlessly killed Native Americans and defied the Supreme Court; or was he a proud hero of the common man who sought to bring an end to the power of the wealthy upper class in government? Assignments for the week: You are responsible for reading all of Chapter 12 in the textbook (p. 353-371) by the end of the week. You are also responsible for reviewing this website as homework: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson The Life of Andrew Jackson Video Questions: 1. What incident early in Jackson’s life made him hate the British? Why? 2. Describe Jackson’s early life and social status. 3. List some words that describe Jackson’s character as a young man. 4. What profession (job) did Jackson pursue when he was 18? 5. What happened in Jackson’s first duel? What did it prove about him? 6. Why was Jackson’s marriage controversial? How did this hurt him later? 7. Describe Jackson’s first attempt at serving as a politician in Washington. 8. What happened in Jackson’s second duel? 9. Why did Jackson earn the nickname “Old Hickory”? 10. What was the “Redstick War”? What role did Andrew Jackson play? 11. What did Andrew Jackson do with a young Native American child captured...
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...Critical Thinking Essay (Indian Removal Act) As the 19th century began, Americans who had their eyes set on new unclaimed land poured into the south and began heading towards present day Alabama. Since the Indian tribes living there seemed to be the main thing prohibiting the expansion, white settlers petitioned the federal government to remove them from the land. In his 1829 State of the Union address, President Jackson called for the removal of Native Americans from their tribal lands. Andrew Jackson wanted to renew a policy of political and military action for the removal of the Indians from these lands and worked towards creating a law for Indian removal. The Indian Removal Act was put in place to give to the southern states access to the land that Indians had formerly settled on (U.S. Department of State). The Indian Removal Act brought many issues to the table. Such as whether it was constitutional, who had the authority to pass what, and could it be done peacefully. In 1823, a case, Johnson v. M’Intosh, which was fighting for Indian’s rights, was brought before the...
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...President Andrew Jackson's message to congress "On Indian Removal" is substantially different from "Samuels Memory" by Michael Rutledge in terms of language and tone. You can see clear differences in the use of diction/sentence structure and connotation in both documents. The most obvious difference between the two is sentence structure. Andrew Jackson uses many complex and compound sentences while Michael Rutledge uses short simple sentences. The very first sentence of Andrew Jackson message to congress is "it gives me great pleasure to announce to congress that the benevolent policy of the Government, steadily pursued for nearly thirty years, in relation to the removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation." In contrast, the first...
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...The Trail of Tears is a phrase known to define the forceful expulsion of the five civilized Native tribes, away from their traditional lands and forced migration to new Indian ground which was west of the Mississippi River. These tribes were the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and the Seminoles. When Andrew Jackson was elected president in the year 1828, the Natives soon became a part of the next racial targeting. President Andrew Jackson encouraged the expulsion; the Congress authorized this removal policy set by the president in 1830. The Indian Removal Act was passed on May 28, 1830; they were involuntarily removed from their homes and forced to move west. The Indian Removal Act was defined as swapping the U.S. western area for the...
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...of the American Indians Today there are more than half a million Indians in the United States. They are still trying to adapt to the white civilization, being in all stages of development. There are a few Indians who have made money from natural resources found on their lands, but there are still thousands who live at close starvation levels. Many live in almost complete isolation from Americans who are not Indian, but there are some who are educated and living among the white society. Hundreds of Indians work in cities close to their reservations; thousands of other Indians hold onto the security of their reservations in hope of gaining education and being able to develop the resources of their lands and provide for their own needs without help from others. Today, there are about 300 federal reservations in the United States largely found west of the Mississippi. There are many environmental issues which have created many tragedies among the American Indians, which have left most of them facing poor living conditions. There is a long history of tragedies among the American Indians starting back in the 1830s. The Trail of Tears, also known as the “death march,” was the first initial tragedy that caught the attention of many historians to this day. The Trail of Tears is known as the enforced relocation and movement of American Indian tribes from southeastern territories of the United States with the Indian Removal Act of 1830 following. This removal included the members...
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...or loathe him, there’s no in-between. Following Jackson’s death in 1845, he has acquired several accolades that could be used to determine whether he had an impact on history during his presidencies. Firstly, he appears on the $20 bill, one of only a few influential historical figures who have also made it on the American currency - the fact that he shares such an exclusive position alongside the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, all indisputably influential and important figures in American history, means that he must have had a successful presidency. Secondly, he ranks fifth in the all-time most influential presidents list, which is high praise indeed considering there has been 43 other presidents. This essay will aim to examine the positives and negatives of Andrew Jackson’s presidencies and whether he is deserving of his historical legacy which places him fifth in the all time most influential presidents. Jackson was the first man of so called ‘low birth’ to be elected as President. Jackson, having failed to win the 1824 election despite winning the plurality of the popular and electoral vote, and infuriated by Clay and Adam’s ‘Corrupt Bargain’, came back stronger for his running in the 1828 election. By this election, white men of all backgrounds could, both rich and poor, could vote after universal white male suffrage, alongside the abolition of property disqualifications, was introduced. Jackson was elected in a fiery campaign and is widely...
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...As the 19th century rolled around the notion of Manifest Destiny had been buzzing around in the air. The nation not only thought that they could expand west but that is was their “destiny”. This principal was symbolized as “the western territorial expansion of the united states”. This idea of spreading to the west had been brought about because a few factors. Starting with the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812, up until the begging of the Civil War. The war of 1812 I believe played a great role in the stereotypes of Native Americans. However the nation was still in a period of ethnic cleansing, keep that in mind. “Soon after Black Hawk’s war, President Andrew Jackson signed into law the Indian Removal Act. This particular piece of...
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...Evaluation Rough Draft 2 August 2012 Last Rites for Indian Dead”, Evaluation Susan Harjo in her essay titled, “Last Rites for Indian Dead”, argues that it is wrong to remove the remains of Native Americans for medicinal, archeological, or fortune hunting purposes. Native American peoples should no longer be considered the property of all Americans. She decries the desecration, plunder, and exploitation of Native American grave-sites and holy sites. Her quest is to see national legislation passed to protect the burial remains of Native Americans. Her argument remains viable and quite compelling. Every human kind deserves reverential treatment. Despite the fact I am not a Native American, I can sympathize with the feelings of dishonor, desecration, and decadency someone must feel upon learning that their relatives have been exhumed without family awareness nor blessing. I would dread and hate the thought of having my own family grave tampered with whether for research or medical purposes. The only time I could compromise this thought is if authorities are requiring evidence to solve a crime. Grave sites and cemeteries ought to be preserved as places of peace and tranquility in honor of the deceased. How horrible it would be to visit my parent’s graveside only to discover they had been dug up? It is not right for anyone to look for wealth by tampering with the remains of the dead. Harjo calls research on her peoples’ relics into question by citing a well-known doctor...
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...U.S. History and Constitution HIS120 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) At the end of the course, students will be able to: SLO1. Describe the cultural, geographic and climatic influences on Native American societies. SLO2. Compare and contrast religious, social and cultural differences among the major European settlers. SLO3. Describe the events that helped create American nationalism and lead to the American Revolution. SLO4. Explain the Constitutional Convention, the Articles of Confederation, and the emergence of a democratic nation. SLO5. Explain the U.S. Constitution as it related to the separation of powers, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, and the major principles of democracy. SLO6. Evaluate the Jeffersonian dream of expansion and its effect on Native Americans SLO7. Describe Jacksonian democracy and the creation of a two party system SLO8. Explain slavery and associated issues that led to the Civil War and its aftermath. Module Titles Module 1—Early American exploration and colonization (SLO1) Module 2—British colonies (SLO2) Module 3—Road to the Revolution and the American Revolution (SLO3) Module 4—Early Republic (SLO4 and SLO5) Module 5—Jacksonian America (SLO 6 and SLO7) Module 6—Road to the Civil War (SLO8) Module 7—Civil War (SLO8) Module 8—Shaping American history: Signature Assignment (all SLOs) Module 1 Early Exploration and Contact with Native Americans Welcome to HIS 120: U.S....
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...The international community has not legally admonished the United States for genocidal acts against Native Americans, yet it is clear that examples of genocidal acts and crimes against humanity are a well-cited page in U.S. history. Notorious incidents, such as the Trail of Tears, the Sand Creek Massacre, and the massacre of the Yuki of northern California are covered in depth in separate entries in this encyclopedia. More controversial, however, is whether the colonies and the United States participated in genocidal acts as an overall policy toward Native Americans. The Native-American population decrease since the arrival of Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus alone signals the toll colonization and U.S. settlement took on the native population. Scholars estimate that approximately 10 million pre-Columbian Native Americans resided in the present-day United States. That number has since fallen to approximately 2.4 million. While this population decrease cannot be attributed solely to the actions of the U.S. government, they certainly played a key role. In addition to population decrease, Native Americans have also experienced significant cultural and proprietary losses as a result of U.S. governmental actions. The total effect has posed a serious threat to the sustainability of the Native-American people and culture. Ideological Motivations Two conflicting yet equally harmful ideologies significantly influenced U.S. dealings with Native Americans. The first sprang from...
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...Tammy Prater Survey of American History I HIST 2010 Spring 2014 “Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion A Brief History with Documents” By Carrie Duncan Manifest Destiny is an event, and a philosophy, that changed how the United States expanded from thirteen colonies into what it is today. The term, Manifest Destiny, was first used in 1845 by John O'Sullivan, to give explanation for the United States' right of expansion. He stated that"...the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federaltive development of self government entrusted to us. It is right such as that of the tree to the space of air and the earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth." 1 The principle behind Manifest Destiny has been around since Christopher Columbus first discovered the Caribbean. Many years after Columbus' discovery of the New World, Europe and Mexico were wanting to expand, and control new territories in North America. This want for new territory, would cause boundary issues and fears to arise soon after the Revolutionary War with the fledgling government of the United States. These boundary issues and fears would help the supporters, who wanted to expand the United States borders, to push for acquiring new territories in...
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...controversial presidents in US history. During his presidency he faced many struggles and controversies. Many agreed with his actions during those times, others were angered by them. He faced 4 important struggles which of them 3 are going to be talked about in this essay. The First big controversy he faced was the Spoils System. The Spoils System is a practice in which political parties, after winning the elections, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for working toward victory. This affected the US government a lot because workers that wore very good at there job were removed from their jobs because political reasons. There was a quote by William Marcy that said, “To the victor belongs the spoils”, this is a good explanation of the spoils system. The another struggle he faced was the Indian Removal act. Most native americans had established the american people way of living, but a lot of americans wanted the native american’s land because they discovered there was gold there and they also wanted it to plant cotton foundations. So, President Jackson signed the act to remove all native americans from their lands. The Cherokee Nation took this to the Supreme Court to talk about this act...
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...Andrew Jackson Essay Dr. Clark President Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson was a self-made man. Jackson was the only president to symbolize another great generation. Andrew Jackson has his own age known as he “Jacksonian age. No other president could stand for their own age. President Jackson had enhanced many presidential powers through his tough personality, and how he was able to take on many challenges. He has strengthened the Democracy by vetoing countless bills, and paid the national debt. Jackson had also taken a huge role on the Indian removal act. The challenges “old hickory” faced were not easy and he was the one to be believed the strongest president. Andrew Jackson had strengthened the democracy in a few ways. One way he had strengthened the democracy is that Jackson believed “the president was the servant of the people” (page 114-115).This meant that he believed the people being served was to give them what they really desired and to keep them satisfied with his presidency. At first, Jackson didn’t believe he was fit to be president. He knew his ability could control a group of fighting men for battle, but Jackson never believed in his ability that he could take on and control an entire country. Although, he strongly believed the people of the country had the right to choose, so he encouraged voting rights. In the book “when people called it, it was the leaders duty to act upon the service” (67). Jackson had took the idea of becoming president into further thought...
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...Christopher Columbus reported his opinion of the Indians in the following manner: “They should be good servants and of quick intelligence, since I see that they very soon say all that is said to them, and I believe that they would easily be made Christians, for it appears to me that they had no creed. Our Lord willing, at the time of my departure, I will bring back six of them to your Highness that they may learn to talk (Hurtado 46)”. This passage shows that Columbus believed the Indians intelligent and would be easily converted to European ways, but did not think them equal to Europeans. Columbus demonstrates his ethnocentricity by disregarding Native American religious beliefs, and by assuming that because they did not speak a European language they could not "talk." Europeans viewed the Indians as having inferior cultural practices such as their laws, government, economics, and mode of living, religion, property ownership, and education/writing. However, the Europeans believed that these cultural traits of the Native Americans could with little difficulty be changed to resemble European cultures. In 1620, the first college for Native Americans was established to educate Indians in European ways, and in 1640, Harvard opened a college for Indians. This proves that the main objective of the Europeans was to assimilate the Native Americans into European culture by way of education. Europeans justified their conquest of the Indians because they believed they had a divine purpose...
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