America: A Concise History, Essay Example

Why did Jackson support Indian removal and did removal help or hurt the native populations?

Jackson supported Indian removal due to a cultural belief that Indian’s were immoral people. In general, the American people believed that “removal to the West seemed to be the only way to protect Indian’s from alcoholism, financial chicanery, and cultural decline” (Henretta et al. 301). Jackson favored this removal mainly because this was a view that was held by the American public and this would help Jackson strengthen his political influence. As a consequence of this, Jackson pushed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 through Congress despite the protest of many groups. He did so because he believed that this was the only resolution to the Indian problem, as it would have been too challenging to have devised an alternative plan due to the financial state of the nation.

Ultimately Jackson’s decision was influence by politics. Since he had closed down the National Banks just prior to the initiation of this crisis, the only way to resolve the issues he observed among the Native American people was to relocate them. Since many Americans saw them as outsiders, this plan appeased many and was realistic in terms of finances. While this was not necessarily a moral decision, Jackson viewed Indian removal as necessary because it was viewed as better than taking no action at all. A question that arises as a consequence of this is “Was Jackson’s presidency viewed favorably as a consequence of his actions with regards to Indian removal or were his actions generally disapproved by the public?”

Works Cited

Henretta JA, Edwards R, Self RO. America: A Concise History. Bedford St. Martin’s, 2002.