The Indian Removal

By: Idiah Pearson

The Indian Removal Era Begins around late 1828 and ends around 1849. there are many reasons why the Indian Removal was initiated. and there are also many explanations on why It took just about 20 years for it to end. so, Let's start from the beginning. 
Before the Indian Removal, the Indians were living quite peacefully on their own.  even though they always had these conflicts with the White men of America, It had been a while without much bothersome other than the ones that would pass through every now and then. 

But it didn't take long for that short-termed peace to change. Americans had always had greed for land and the benefits that came with it, such as the resources. So, when America was expanding and growing rapidly in population as well as the economy, the Americans started to think about expansion and what they can do to be more eminent and to have more. And just when their thoughts started to run free, gold was discovered in northern Georgia In the 1800's.

And with that discovery, the president of the time, Andrew Jackson, was set on expanding into Georgia.

Jackson's initial reaction was that the Indians in the land of georgia needed to be removed. So he decided to use the Treaty of New Echota, to justify the removal to both the government and the Indians on the land. 

The treaty was approved and signed by about 100 Cherokee leaders (although some Indian leaders refused the treaty.) And people of the American gov't who supported his plan. Once the treaty was signed, The 100 leaders who signed the treaty were killed by their clan and thought of as traitors for giving up their land. but other than that incident there was a moment of peace as the settlers and the Indians co-exsited with each other. Jackson got what he wanted and the Indians got land in the Indian territory, livestock tools, and more. 

But as always The Americans were greedy for more. After a few years, Jackson came to the conclusion that he wanted all Indians off of the lands of Georgia for settlement for American farmers.  Jackson send a few troops to delay the message to the Natives, and they turned the troops away refusing to leave their land. The Indians were more stubborn, especially after they had already given up their rights to their own homes. Jackson didn't like the response that he received so he figured that if the Indians wouldn't do what he demanded of them then he would have to do it by force.