AN APOLOGY WE SHALL FOREVER PAY.

After the $11.25 million purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1804, from the French government, by President Jefferson, America's size doubled and securing every inch of the landmass was essential to the government. In 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected as the 7th President of the United States. He was elected as president during the era when the need for expansion was at the forefront of government's agenda. After gaining independence from Great Britain, the presence of the Native Americans around the United States was still a sore thumb to White Americans at the time. They knew that they had to do something about the presence of the Native Americans. But they didn't know whether to integrate with them and introduce them to the ways of the "modern man" or excommunicate them out of the territory and risk another expensive war on their hands; after all Alexander Hamilton was no longer privy to step in to save the economy as he did in 1791.

This Native American woman's great-grand father's
land is among present day Alabama.

Andrew Jackson was known as the "people's president," due to his election philosophies which was committed to working for the interest of the people. According to the library of Congress, the Tennessee president was a major supporter of the campaign to remove Native Americans from the path of White Settlement. President Jackson introduced the Indian Removal Act which was signed into law in 1830 by Congress. This act was passed in order to free up the Indian lands along the east river of Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, and parts of Georgia, for settlement by Americans and their slaves. The act also authorized President Jackson to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi to Native American in exchange for lands along the above mentioned states. Obviously, such deal was deemed unfair by Native American tribes. The removal act did not benefit the Native Americans at all because it was an unjust action backed by an All-White Congress, aimed at randomly displacing a once organized society.

A few tribes peacefully accepted the Removal act, but many resisted it and a major tribe who resisted were the Cherokees. With such resistance came a forceful removal during the unbearable winter in 1838 and 1839, known as the "Trail of Tears." During this forceful removal, almost 4,000 Cherokees lost their lives. These people, just as anyone would, wanted to fight for their heritage and protect the lands of their ancestors. I wonder why the United States government did not purchase these Native American lands as they did the Louisiana Territory from the French. For President Andrew Jackson, the removal of Native Americans was just an action to enable that states to advance rapidly in wealth and power. Obviously, the humanity of these people was not a factor for President Jackson to consider; after all, he was a Southern slave-owner whose democratic opinions had no sort of social reformation.

   Women, Children and Men being matched
out of their land, in the treacherous winter, as they wept.  

Unbeknownst to most people, the Removal Act of 1830 was more of a treaty than a command. If the act was rightfully upheld, today, there would have been descendants of Native Americans still living in Alabama and coastal areas of Mississippi. And they would have still retained legal ownership of over twenty-million acres of their land which was taken, by President Jackson, through the Removal Act, after the Battle of Horse Shoe Bend (present day Alabama, close to the Georgia Border). Even though the Removal Act was not favorable for Native Americans, the U.S. government should have kept their promises of land-swap with the Native Americans. Unfortunately, President Jackson saw the battle between Native American tribes, due to resistance of the Removal Act, as an opportunity to disregard the promises of the Removal Act and steal the traditional lands of the Native Americans.

Although the topic of the removal of Native Americans from their heritage lands is a very sentimental and debatable topic in American history, but the untainted truth has to be taught both to present day and future generations to come because disregarding the existence of this part of United States history would be equivalent to disregarding the existence of the Holocaust. Andrew Jackson's removal policy was not beneficial to the Native Americans because their lands were lost so were their people and their culture was shattered. The Removal Act of May 28th, 1830 was clearly an excuse to high-jack one of the most prized possessions of the Native Americans without providing any incentive for them. Yes, Andrew Jackson might have gained more land for this Great Nation of the United States of America, but it was done at the expense of the Great Native American tribes. So, next time you use the $20 USD bill, you shall know the truth and hopefully it shall set you free.  

A remembrance to kept in mind.