The forced relocation of Native Americans is one of the biggest failures of US history as the US deprived Native Americans their rights as well as their land. Ever since white settlers arrived in North America, Native Americans had been viewed as savages and “uncivilized” and were pushed west with increasing Europeans encroachment. They were considered as the “Indian problem” that the great white man should make an effort to civilize them by converting them to Christianity and reactions from the Natives varied. Some adapted English ways, and some resisted in court or militarily. President Andrew Jackson was a planter that viewed Indians to be inferior and waged brutal campaigns against Native Americans. After Jackson won the election in 1828, the first major legislation he recommended and passed …show more content…
The Creeks resisted militarily and fought a long war against the US Army. Their leaders were imprisoned and eventually they were forcibly removed from Florida and moved west. Of the five, the Cherokee resisted by taking Georgia to court. In the court case Cherokee Nation v. Georgia of 1831, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in favor of the Cherokee tribe and asserted that they did not have to move. Of course, Jackson and southern states ignored the ruling and rounded up the Indians at gunpoint and forced them to move. Even though the US was the main beneficiary in this case, the horrible treatment of the Native American was unjustified as they had lived in the North America long before the white settlers yet somehow they felt they “deserved” that land. The Indian removal process continued and was continued by President Martin Van Buren. He sent General Winfield Scott and 7,000 soldiers to accelerate the process when not all the Cherokees had relocated from Georgia. Over 20,000 Cherokees were marched westward at gunpoint and more than 5,000 perished on the