Good Example Of Essay On President Jackson’s Address To The Indians

Abstract

Andrew Jackson’s presidential legacy was built upon his interactions with the American Indians. His addresses to Congress proved his ability to win over the people to push forward with the American Indian removal. He was able to prove the point of saving the Indians from not only themselves but from the American population.
President Andrew Jackson has often been correlated with the removal of the American Indians. His speeches that have been recorded in history reflect his tones, and goals for the American Indian removal. He used the sympathies of the American people to his advantage, and ultimately played upon the emotions of the people at the time. The American people looked to work with the Indians rather than be afraid of them, and he used to this to express the desires to colonize the Indians, or have them removed from their lands.
President Jackson began his quest for the American Indian removal with his speeches to congress. It was noted that he used the same context and tones that he used on the campaign trail Knowing that these tones were successful in getting him elected, President Jackson played on the emotions of the people. He spoke of the desire to colonize the American Indians, and in doing so, would ultimately save them from their “savage” ways. He felt that by colonizing them that they would abandoned their “rude” lifestyle, and become a Christian nation. In his first address, he states that the Indians are in a constant wandering state without a permanent residence, and nowhere to settle and call home. He felt that their lifestyles were too simple, and that they needed to be educated on how to be a civilized nation. In essence, he felt that their removal would benefit the fledgling American nation, and that the American states would be able to expand and not have to live in fear.
Some of the interesting points of President Jackson’s messages, was his ability to contradict his statements. He started off with the statement of how American Indian removal should be voluntary, as it would be extremely difficult to be able to convince a nation that their current place of residence is not proper, and that they should move. However, as it would be later noted in his other addresses to congress, he reverts these statements, and portrays the attitude that this removal should be done by force. It is mentioned during his second address to congress that the white man has a stronger attachment to his home than the American Indian, and therefore the Indian should move to the new settlements, and the government should step in and help him do this. There is a stark contrast in the text and tone between the first address to congress, and the second address to congress. During the first address to congress, President Jackson portrays that the American Indian would be happier and healthier if he voluntarily left his current living situation and moved out further west. It is during the second address to congress that President Jackson portrays that it is a necessity for the American Indians to move, and that it would benefit the white man more, because they are Christian and more civilized. He compares these moves in the manner that the American Indian does not have the attachment to the home or graves of his family the same way that the white man does. He portrays the image of a very simplistic and retarded Indian whom does not have the same inherent rights of the white man.
In order for President Jackson to be successful with the order of the Indian removal, he relies on executive order. He portrays the image of how beneficial it will be to have the removal of the American Indians, and how in the end the entire country will be better off without the Indians being a threat to the American nation.
Lastly, with the reaction of the American Indians themselves, the Indians felt completely displaced as they were not able to be in the same land as their family. They felt that they would be considered intruders in the land, and would be considered a threat to the other nations. It was important for their survival to be able to stay where they were, as they would not be able to survive in a new land. It was mentioned in the Cherokee memorial, that these people felt their inherent rights were violated, and to be removed to a land that was not their own would go against these inherent rights.
Ultimately these address was able to persuade congress to move forward with the Indian removal. These Indian tribes had to move across the United States, and some states such as Georgia to extreme measures to see that the Indians were removed from their land. President Jackson’s tone and context was successful in seeing the removal of the Native tribes of America.