JACKSON’S NATIVE

AMERICAN POLICY

Level 2

Vocabulary Assimilate: to bring in another

culture’s way of life Unconstitutional: a law or decision

that goes against the Constitution Reservation: land set aside for a Native

American tribe

Essential Questions How did Jackson’s policies affect the

political, economic, and social life of the nation?

How was Jackson viewed by different groups of people?

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected the Frontier

Attitude Indian removal was a policy

started under Monroe, slowed under Adams and executed by Jackson.

Natural citizens and immigrants voted, Indians didn’t.

Indian Removal Act (1830): $500,000 for treaties to remove tribes, mostly in the Southeast, west of the Mississippi

Why did the Southern frontier (GA, MS, AL) want it? Expand cotton agriculture Gold rush in Northern GA Violent conflicts with various

tribes There were no distinctions made

between tribes in the minds of most Americans and they were seen as violent savages.

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected the Frontier Attitude

Davy Crockett, an Indian fighter and frontiersman, opposed Jackson’s policy and he was not elected back to Congress from Tennessee

The Men that Dared to Disagree

“I’m going to Texas

Congressman Theodore Frelinghuysen, NJ, religious man believed that the Native Americans were Men and as such deserved to live like any other person on their own land.

Henry Clay, Kentucky, felt like the US should act as parents to the Native tribes.

Jackson’s Native American PolicyReflected Frontier Attitude

Some Native Americans resisted government attempts to negotiate their removal: Sac and Fox Creek Choctaw Cherokee Seminoles

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

Sac (Sauc) and Fox tribes: Chief Black Hawk signed a treaty giving away their land for

the exchange of land in the west. The land was no good and they were starving. They went back east and were chased back to Illinois by the

Sioux. Black Hawk War 1832

Illinois militia was called in Militia outnumbered the tribes but many were drunk; were

chased 25 miles in what is now called “Stillman’s Run” Chief Black Hawk was encouraged by the defeat of the militia

and the Sac and Fox tribes started to terrorize the frontier by burning farms and scalping settlers.

1,300 troops were sent and the tribes tried to surrender. Militia and federal troops massacred about 500, including

women and children, that were trying to retreat over the Mississippi River

Chief Black Hawk escaped to WI where the Winnebagos gave him to the army under the command of Jefferson Davis where he was given fair treatment.

President Jackson went to Black Hawk and stated “You behaved very badly in raising the tomahawk against the white people, and killing men, women and children upon the frontier…”

Jackson made Black Hawk take a tour of eastern cities to impress him with America’s power.

Chief Black Hawk

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

Choctaw: Chief Pushmataha

rejected Jackson’s offer of land in the west because he knew it was barren.

Jackson warned them that if they didn’t move west he would destroy their nation.

1831 Choctaw were the first tribe to walk the “Trail of Tears”.

Malnutrition, exposure and cholera killed many.

Chief Pushmataha

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

Creek: Fought with armed

conflicts Chief McIntosh sold

Creek land for $200,000 and was executed by the Creeks.

1836 Creeks walked the “Trail of Tears”.

About 3,500 died on the walk out of 15,000.

Those who resisted were put in chains and marched in double file.

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

Cherokee: Chose to assimilate to the white way of life:

Created single family farms Sequoyah made the Cherokee alphabet

(syllabary) Converted to Christianity Opened schools Built churches Built roads Created a newspaper called the Cherokee

Phoenix Adopted a constitution which gave them

sovereignty over their land Created a legislature Printed bibles

Sequoyah

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

The State of GA: Didn’t like the fact that the Cherokee were living in

what they saw as their state without having to follow the laws of GA

Abolished tribal rule and stated that the Cherokee were under GA’s jurisdiction

Banned whites from working with the Cherokee, even missionaries

Rev. Samuel Worcester brought it to the Supreme Court so that he could continue to work with the Cherokee in “Worcester vs. GA” Supreme Court Justice John Marshall sided with the

Cherokee and ruled GA’s law unconstitutional. “The Cherokee nation, then, is a distinct community occupying its own territory in which the laws of Georgia can have no force. The whole intercourse between the United States and this nation is, by our constitution and laws, vested in the government of the United States”.

Jackson disagreed that tribes were independent nations and is said to have stated “John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it”. John Marshall

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

The Cherokee resisted the removal due to the ruling of Worcester v. GA.

Gold was found in Northern GA, Cherokee land, which started the first gold rush in the US.

Treaty of Echota: Signed by a minority of Cherokee Agreed to move west $5 million was given to them Chief John Ross protested to the

US Senate to not accept it but it was futile.

Most wouldn’t leave until 1838 when the army forced them

About 4,000 out of 15,000 died on the “Trail of Tears”.

John Ross

Jackson’s Native American PolicyReflected Frontier Attitude

Video stop at 1:50

Jackson’s Native American Policy Reflected Frontier Attitude

Seminoles Florida Led by Osceola

US captured and shipped many Seminoles via the Mississippi River to the Indian Territory

Military spent about $20 million and had 1,500 casualties

President Tyler ended the Seminole War with no treaty ever being signed in 1842. Osceola

Jackson’s Native American PolicyReflected Frontier Attitude

Native American Indian Territory

Essential Questions How did Jackson’s policies affect the

political, economic, and social life of the nation?

How was Jackson viewed by different groups of people?