As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs

Indian Removal
1. Cleared the land for white occupancy between the Appalachians and the Mississippi
  1. South for cotton
    1. This was all for expansion, immigration, canal, railroads, new cities
      1. Demonstrates expansion and development
  2. North for grain
2. Needed for "the progress of civilization and improvement"
  1. By eliminating one group is NOT progress, but barbaric acts
3. The North was generally against this
  1. They defended Indians
    1. But South and overall votes outnumbered this sentiment and the bill was passed
Population Increases
1. In 1790 there were 3,900,000 Americans
  1. By 1830 there were 13 million Americans, but in 1844 fewer than 30,000 Indians were left
    1. Were Indians totally disregarded from growth and expansion?
Revolutionary War and Indian role
1. Almost every important Indian nation fought on the side of the British
  1. The British signed for peace and went home
    1. Indians were home so they had to fight against an American frontier
  2. In 1791, Thomas Jefferson said where Indians lived within state boundaries they should not be interfered with and that the government should remove white settlers who tried to encroach on them
Westward expansion
1. Whites continue to move westward
  1. Pressure on national government increased
    1. There is aggressive activity towards Indians
  2. Whites outnumber Indians
2. Nation doubled in size
  1. Jefferson purchased Louisiana territory from France in 1803
    1. Talks that Indians should focus on small farming
      1. However Indian removal was crucial for the opening of the vast American lands to agriculture, commerce, markets, money, and development of the modern capitalist economy
      2. Land is definitely a point of contention
Andrew Jackson
1. Merchant, slave trader, aggressive enemy of the Indians
  1. Also turned into a hero of the War of 1812
    1. This war was also to expand into Florida, Canada, and into Indian territory
2. National hero
  1. In 1814 fought the battle of Horseshoe Bend against a thousand Creeks
    1. Killed nearly 800
      1. How can we celebrate merciless killing?
  2. Textbooks portray him as this GREAT guy, yet he did horrible things
    1. Why do schools teach this way? We are sheltering and brainwashing students
      1. This is not acceptable
3. 1814 Treaty with the Creeks
  1. Grants Indians individual ownership of land
    1. This breaks up the communal landholding, bribing some with land
      1. This imposed western capitalism ideas onto them to try and civilize them
      2. I don't understand how we can just be so ethnocentric and think western ways are the best
      3. It appears to me that Andrew Jackson is so power hungry
4. Elected President in 1828
  1. Indian removal bill came before Congress
    1. It would force Indians to move
      1. Just the title of the bill makes me sick
Angered Indians
1. In 1811. Tecumseh a Shawnee chief gathered many Indians in protest
  1. Protest was against the white race
    1. While I understand that the Indians were treated horribly, they are not gaining anything by doing the same things to Whites
2. Creeks
  1. They were divided among themselves
    1. Some adopted to the white man civilization and others stayed firm on keeping their culture and land
      1. "Red sticks"
      2. Very complex situation within one group of Indians
  2. Defrauded of their own land
    1. Short of money and food
      1. Desperate times call for desperate measures
      2. Begin to raid white farms
      3. Eventually turns into a second war
  3. White invasion of land began
    1. Looting, thugs, whiskey sellers, fraud
      1. Very bad series of events
      2. Some joined army in exchange to stay on land
3. Forced to leave own land
  1. How would YOU feel if you were told you had to leave the land that you not only lived on, but held so much sentimental value?
    1. Creeks offered money for their land, but they wanted to stay on the land they grew the "soil" for
Treaties
1. From 1814-1824 a series of treaties developed with the southern Indians
  1. These treaties are a basis for cotton kingdom and slave plantations
    1. Every time these treaties were signed pushes Creeks further
    2. Brought white settlements to the border of Florida
      1. Indians lived here and this caused uproars
      2. Jackson began raids and saying it was necessary
      3. Begins Seminole War of 1818
2. Gave Congress the autority over the tribes
  1. Indian trade and Intercourse Act passed said there could be no land cessions except by treaty with a tribe and federal law would operate in Indian territory
    1. So much corruption: use this law to their advantage because states could be blamed and if Indians chose to stay they would have to follow "state laws"
Chief Blackhawk
1. Captured and defeated in 1832
  1. Fought a hard battle
    1. He was bitter because he was captured without enough support and soldiers were killing children and women
      1. It is hard to wrap my head around this
"As long as grass grows or water runs"
1. Phrase used to recalled with bitterness by generations of Indians
  1. In 1829 gold was discovered in Cherokee territory in Georgia
    1. Jackson ordered federal troops to remove them and stop mining
      1. They are truly taking advantage and overusing their power
      2. White invaders seized land and forced Indians to sign leases
      3. If they didn't abide then they would beat them up and harm their resources for vitality
Indian way of life
1. Family/friendships valued
  1. These "western" values destroy the fundamental principles of Indian society
2. Voluntary Cherokee migrations
  1. Still faced unjust conditions
    1. Outnumbered by white settlers
      1. Best way to solve this in their opinion was to adapt to "white" ways
      2. Used to have a poetic, spoken language, but to adapt implemented written language
      3. Even owned slaves
      4. 17,000 Cherokees surrounded by 900,000 Whites in Georgia
Migration
1. Disorganized and in winter
  1. Unfavorable conditions, extreme cold and people began to die of pneumonia
    1. Choctaws died by the hundreds
    2. Some Cherokees advised others not to leave
      1. Of course they got in trouble
      2. Jackson advised against this and said a speedy removal was the best thing
2. Violence between whites and seminoles erupted
  1. Congress appropriated money for a war against against Seminoles
    1. This war went on for years
      1. Troops did not immediately move against Cherokees
      2. However, Van Buren ordered the major into Cherokee territory and to use whatever force necessary
      3. Five regiments of regulars and four thousand militia and volunteers began pouring into Cherokee country
Worcester vs. Georgia
1. Supreme Court case that declared the Georgia law on which Worcester was jailed violated the treaty with the Cherokees
  1. Ordered Worcester to be free, but Jackson refused to enforce this court order
    1. Too much bureacracy
  2. Now Georgia put Cherokee land on sale and moved militia in to crush any sign of Cherokee resistance