Historical Websites
The history of native Indians is a core part of American history. As the founding fathers continued to acquire more land in the new-found US territory, native Indians faced the risk of eviction. The Cherokee nation faced an imminent eviction from their land and therefore, appealed to the Supreme Court to appeal. President Jackson also wrote to the Cherokee tribe, urging them to give up their homeland. In another address, President Jackson addressed the congress and explained his reasons for Indian removal policy. Several websites give a brief account of the historical events from different perspectives. The various websites convey different purposes and relate to the history and ethical behavior differently.
A letter from President Andrew Jackson to the Cherokee Nation about the benefits of voluntary removal, March 16, 1835.
The letter from President Jackson to the Cherokee Nation is from the Digital Public Library of America website. The purpose of the message is to convince the Cherokee tribe to stop defending their native homeland. Although President Jackson addresses the Cherokee tribe as his friends, the content of the letter indicates otherwise. The President refers to their customs as backward and advices them to allow civilized Americans to absorb them. President Jackson was attempting to act ethically by addressing the Cherokee people as his friends. Furthermore, the advice in the letter imposes that the Cherokee people are stubborn for fighting for their homeland. The message is a clear indicating President Jackson was more interested in inhabiting Georgia than the welfare of the original inhabitants.
Andrew Jackson on Native Americans, Second Annual Message (December 6, 1830)
The second annual message to congress is from the cloudfront.net website. The document is an excerpt from the second annual message to Congress by President Jackson. In the address, President Jackson defends his policy of Indian removal. According to President Jackson, the only remedy to the Indians with savage habits is to civilize the native states. Also, President Jackson states that Indian removal will make America strong enough to repel future invasions. In his defense, President Jackson says that America will be better off without the uncivilized natives. The President further adds that even the founding fathers left their native land in search of greener pastures. Therefore, similarly, the natives should abandon their homeland and seek a better future for their children. The address was ethically violating the treaty rights held by the Cherokee natives.
John Marshall’s Decision on Worcester v. Georgia
The document on John Marshall’s decision is from sprintz.weebly.com. The Cherokee nation appealed to the Supreme Court after the state of Georgia started evicting them forcibly from their native land. The natives had initial treaty rights, and by expelling them, the state of Georgia was in violation. The court ruled in favor of Cherokee and stated that the tribe was a sovereign nation. Justice John Marshall noted that Cherokee was an independent state and they could only vacate their homeland at their own will, rather than by forceful eviction. Although President Jackson refused to heed to the court ruling, the court acted ethically by enforcing the treaty rights of the Cherokee tribe.
Works Cited
A letter from President Andrew Jackson to the Cherokee Nation about the benefits of voluntary removal, March 16, 1835. Retrieved from: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/cherokee-removal-and-the-trail-of-tears/sources/1506
Andrew Jackson on Native Americans, Second Annual Message (December 6, 1830). Retrieved from: https://d1lexza0zk46za.cloudfront.net/history/am-docs/jackson-native-americans.pdf
John Marshall’s decision on Worcester V. Georgia. Retrieved from: http://sprintz.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/2/0/5120516/john_marshall_decision_on_worcestervgeorgia.pdf