Jackson's Indian Policy was known for the discrimination of Indians. In this policy Indian territories were considered another nation within the borders of the United States. With the Indian Policy, Indians were forced to follow certain terms most of which were to adapt to new European ideas. This policy led to the removal of Indians from their own land. The United States wanted to relocate the Indians in order to gain control of that piece of land. Indians were promised money and land as an incentive to relocate. However, Indians never saw the money or land that they were promised.
The Indians fought against the Americans and against this relocation. They battled and even took this issue to the supreme court to be justified. In Worcester v. Georgia, the supreme court ruled that the Indians did indeed have rights and that they were being violated by the Americans by forcing them to leave their land. However, after the supreme court ruling the state of Georgia refused it and forced the Indians to relocate anyway in the middle of winter in what became know as the "Trail of Tears".
As president of the United States, Jackson should of enforced the supreme court ruling but instead did nothing to enforce it because he believed Indians had no rights. Since the president had done nothing the it should of been up to the congress to enforce the ruling but instead they also did nothing to enforce it.
I like how you made Jackson's Indian Policy easy to understand and how you went into detail about what it did. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteI also like your simple explanation of what happened. The only thing that confuses me is when you say that Congress should have enforced the supreme court ruling. The textbook doesn't explain this, so I am confused about what Congress could have done. Only the president had executive power which is why Jackson said "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it" regarding the Worcester v. Georgia decision.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Jackson should have enforced the ruling because the Trail of Tears negatively impacted the Indians. For instance, many of the Cherokees died along the Trail and this led to their tribe becoming more divided.
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