Andrew Jackson Congress speech - 1830

Andrew Jackson on Native Americans, Second Annual Message (December 6, 1830)

Andrew Jackson was elected in 1828. Followed the Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. He’s in opposition w/ Jerfferson bc Jackson wanted the end of the monopoly in government by elite.

2 years after his election, in 1830 he implemented an one of the most important Reform during his presidency = the Indian Removal Act. This document is an excerpt from Andrew Jackson’s second annual message to Congress in 1830. In his speech he defends his Indian Removal Act: he forced the removal of Indian tribes = the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole) = 60 000 Indians from the 13 colonies and Mississippi to the a territory beyond the Mississippi river. 2 important Indian tribes have already accepted the arrangement made by the government. Jackson believes it will persuade the remaining tribes to do the same.

We will see what was Jackson’s aim w/ the Indian Removal Act and how he justified this reform and what consequences it had on the Native American population.

In a 1st part, we will see that Jackson belived this Act will have positive impacts on the USA. 2nd part = also belived it was a good reform for the Indians. On a third part, we will understand that Jackson saw this Act as a natural thing and that he did not understand why Indians weren’t satisfied by it.

1. Consequences for the Sates the USA as a nation

• End to possible encounter btw the Federal state and the States governments about the Indian situation. Indeed, their was a clivage in American politics at the time, btw the ones who belived that the federal government should have more power over the states, and the ones like Jackson who believed the states should be seen as an individual entity.
• Large parts of the country that were then occupied by “savage hunters” will be now inhabited by a “civilized population”.
• Strengthen the southwestern frontier and so give abilities to the states to drive away possible Indian invasions: indeed, hence Indians and white pple will be rigorously separated, it will be easier for the States to prevent the Indians to enter. And w/out any help (or at least less help) from the Federal government. Still shows the aim of Jackson to give more independence to the different state. 
• It will free the State of Mississippi and a part of Alabama from Indian occupancy. As a result, Jackson believes those States will be able to become wealthier, more powerful and witness a population growth.  Indeed, American farmers wanted Indian’s lands for their cotton plantation. The cotton cultivation placed a lot of pressure on Indian’s lands. In the 1820s, Missouri forced its Indian pop to leave the state for that reason. And it is the Indian Reomval Act of Jackson which provided funds for those removals. So American farmers had the more lands to cultivate and could make more profit.

1. Consequences for the Indians according to Jackson

• Indians will be separated from immediate contact w/ settlements of whites.  Understand that for Jackson, Indians and Americans cannot live together as a community and should be separated. The Indian Removal Act marked the rejection of the Jeffersonians idea that “civilized” Indians could be integrated into the American pop.
• Free them from the power of the States.
• Pursue happiness in their own way (so he recognises Indians and white pple have a different culture and different perception of what happiness means) and under their own “rude” institutions (not neutral, feel superior, different so not good)  
• But at the same time, Jackson wishes that this separation will eventually turn the Indians into what he sees as civilized community. He hopes they will at the end abandon their “savage habits” and adopt the Christian values.

He strongly believes that it is the best thing he can do for the Indians and the USA. He says his aim is to make the Indians an “happy and prosperous people”. = like the white americans

1. This removal is actually natural and he doesn’t understand why the Indians are dissatisfied w/ their removal.

Indians should “make room” for the new generations : they were once powerful and had complete control on the land. But now that settlers have colonized and an other community live on the land, they should accept that and accommodate. Because moreover, what the American’s society managed to create is far more advanced, civilized and a much better place in general w/ a better way life. So why not accommodate?

He recognizes it must be hard for the Indians to leave their traditional land where their ancestors’ lived. But he compares this situation w/ what the first generation of settlers went through : according to him, they also had to leave their families, their home and their country to settle in unknow lands in order to have better life (potato plague, explain why they left England…)

He even says it was worse for their ancestors bc at least for the Indians, the Government is taking care of everything: indeed they bought the Indian’s land, they gave them new territories, found their new home and they covered all the expense. This for Jackson justifies the fact that they are removing the Indians off their lands and makes this situation not cruel and immoral. To him, former settlers would have enjoyed being at the Indian’s place: the Indians should be happy and feel lucky.

In this speech Jackson portrays the Indian Removal Act as a positive Reform, that it is for the Americans or for the Indians.

COMMENTARY :

1. Indian Removal Act can be seen as paradoxical bc Jackson and the Jacksonian first aim is to  implement a greater democracy in the USA

Contradictory : Jacksonian Democracy = Second Party System = greater democracy for the common man. Formed the modern Democratic Party. Ennemies = the Whigs. Major part of his politic’s philosophy = to expand the Suffage. He implemented the universal white men suffrage. He wanted to give more power to the working and common class and not only to the elite. But w/ this Act we understand that even if wanted more democracy, it was limited to white men only. He promoted racist legislation : no progress for African Americans and Indians and in some cases regress.

1. Indeed, Jackson perceived Indians as inferior individuals and people

At first, the tribes did everything they could to fit in = Cherokee had established schools and adopted written laws + constitution. Became successful farmers, some even owned slaves. But Jackson still considered them as savages.  And indeed :

1823 Johnson v M’Intosh case stipulated that Indians could not be owners of the land but only had the right of occupancy bc Indians were seen as nomads and hunters, not farmers.

Jackson wanted to implement the Indian Removal Act because he believed in the Manifest Destiny which was a big part of the Jacksonian Democracy philosophy : he belived that white Americans had a destiny to settled the American West and to expand control from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The West should be settled by farmers. Indians should let their lands to enable white settlers to accomplish this destiny. So Americans had a duty to change the Indian way of life and make them adopt their values and culture. Manifest Destiny = strong belief that the American way is the best and so superior to everybody else’s.