The Trail of Tears, Indian Removal Act of 1830
Sarah Nawotny
11/24/2012
ENG 101-I
NATIVE AMERICANS: the trail of tears, the indian removal act of 1830, reservation opression
I have decided to dive into the depths of the American Indians and the reasoning behind all of the poverty and the oppression of the “white man.” In doing so I came across a couple of questions that I would like to answer. A). How did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 affect Native American culture, financial status, health, and B). Identity and how is life on the reservation oppressive for the Native Americans? In the 1830’s, Native Americans still lived in their native lands for the most part, however, white men considered them to be a threat to their peace. So in 1838, the Federal government had what they called the “Five Civilized Tribes” removed. These tribes were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. They were force to march, under cruel conditions, through the cold winter weather, up to 800 miles from their homelands to the “Indian Territory”, which happens to now be Oklahoma. During this move known as the “Trail of Tears,” over 4,000 Cherokees alone died, because of disease, exposure, and starvation, out of the 15,000 moved. U.S. government officials concluded that unspecified tracts of “Indian Territory” needed to be more sharply defined into resevations. Those opposing Westward expansion were rounded up and forcibly confined to the reservations. This was the cause of the Great Plains Wars of the 1860’s-1880’s (History and Culture: Indian Removal Act-1830). The same year the Indian Removal Act was passed, gold was found on the Cherokee lands. There was no way of stopping the rush of Georgians, Carolinians, Virginians, and Alabamians looking for instant wealth. Georgia held lotteries to give Cherokee land and gold rights to the whites. The state had already declared all laws of the Cherokee Nation null and void. After June 1, 1830, the Cherokee had no rights or say in anything (the Trail of Tears). In
11/24/2012
ENG 101-I
NATIVE AMERICANS: the trail of tears, the indian removal act of 1830, reservation opression
I have decided to dive into the depths of the American Indians and the reasoning behind all of the poverty and the oppression of the “white man.” In doing so I came across a couple of questions that I would like to answer. A). How did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 affect Native American culture, financial status, health, and B). Identity and how is life on the reservation oppressive for the Native Americans? In the 1830’s, Native Americans still lived in their native lands for the most part, however, white men considered them to be a threat to their peace. So in 1838, the Federal government had what they called the “Five Civilized Tribes” removed. These tribes were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. They were force to march, under cruel conditions, through the cold winter weather, up to 800 miles from their homelands to the “Indian Territory”, which happens to now be Oklahoma. During this move known as the “Trail of Tears,” over 4,000 Cherokees alone died, because of disease, exposure, and starvation, out of the 15,000 moved. U.S. government officials concluded that unspecified tracts of “Indian Territory” needed to be more sharply defined into resevations. Those opposing Westward expansion were rounded up and forcibly confined to the reservations. This was the cause of the Great Plains Wars of the 1860’s-1880’s (History and Culture: Indian Removal Act-1830). The same year the Indian Removal Act was passed, gold was found on the Cherokee lands. There was no way of stopping the rush of Georgians, Carolinians, Virginians, and Alabamians looking for instant wealth. Georgia held lotteries to give Cherokee land and gold rights to the whites. The state had already declared all laws of the Cherokee Nation null and void. After June 1, 1830, the Cherokee had no rights or say in anything (the Trail of Tears). In
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