Trail of Tears Analysis
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Orange Coast College *
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Course
C175
Subject
History
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
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Uploaded by KidLemurPerson818
1. Google the "Cherokee Nation History." In 1830, what was the Cherokee Nation like (where
was it, how many Cherokee were there, did they have a governmental system and civilization of
any kind, or were they, as Jackson noted, simply "a few savage hunters?". Be sure to cite what
website(s) you are using in your answer.
In 1830, the Cherokee Nation was located in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and
Alabama
1
. When looking at different websites I saw multiple other states but those states were
the ones most repeated. There were around 100,000 Cherokes
2
and they were led by a principal
chief who was regularly elected by chiefs from Cherokee towns from their domains.
3
2. What did Jackson mean, do you think, when he said the Cherokee could over time cast off
their "savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community?"
Jackson saw the Native Americans as a community that was different from his own. This is why
he saw the Native
Americans as savages and people without a proper structure of government.
He also focused on religious differences between the two groups, claiming that the Christian
community is interesting and civilized. However, he described the Native American community
as
"a
few savage hunters,"
which shows his lack of understanding of
Native American
culture. Jackson suggested that the Native Americans should become Christian in order to follow
the norms of their society and become a part of the community
3. Why do you think President Jackson used the kind of language that you looked at in the two
questions above in his Message to the American People when he decided to force the Cherokee
to move?
I think that President Jackson used the language to address the American People when he
decided to force the Cherokee to move because he wanted Americans to side with him. He wants
them to know that the Indians are “savage” people and that Americans are civilized as well as
normal. He wants people to know how much better they are than the Indians. Jackson believes
that since the United States has created such a wonderful country, this makes the United States
better the natural forest of the Indian's homes. Additionally, Jackson compares the removal of
Indians to the white settlers to show that the white settlers jumped at the opportunities to explore
new territories to make their lives better while the Indians would rather stay behind and decay.
Jackson, consistently, throughout his speech says that the white man is superior to Native
Americans.
1
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cherokee-resistance-and-relocation.htm#:~:text=In%201830%2C
%20the%20U.S.%20Federal,west%20of%20the%20Mississippi%20River.
2
https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-trail-of-tears-and-the-forced-relocation-of-the-cherokee-nation-
teaching-with-historic-places.htm#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20story%20of,now%20the%20state%20of
%20Oklahoma.
3
https://www.cherokee.org/about-the-nation/history/
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