Module 6 Discussion Assignment

Yes
Robert V. Remini believes the removal policy enacted by Andrew Jackson did indeed benefit the Native American tribes that were forced to move westward off their lands. Remini’s main reasoning behind his belief is that the tribes would’ve been virtually annihilated if they had stayed. Remini concedes that Jackson was a racist who did not think of the “red man” as his equal, but did have concern for their welfare. Jackson thought white expansion into previously protected lands was inevitable and clashes between the Indians and whites would most certainly result in the deaths of many Indians. The white settlers were also rapidly encroaching and destroying resources on lands integral to Indian way of life (210-11). …show more content…
This solution was not without consequence as much suffering occurred and many lives were lost, but it was the least bad decision.
Remini cites Native American history scholar Francis Paul Prucha in his reasoning. According to Prucha, there were 4 possible endings in the “red/white crisis”: complete genocide of the Indians, integration of the Indians into white society, protection of Indian lands, or Indian relocation. Nobody wanted genocide, neither red nor white man wanted to be integrated culturally and socially, and protecting Indian lands through the enforcement of treaties was proven impossible. The only viable solution was the tragic upheaval of the Five Civilized Tribes