By the 1830s the process of removing Indian tribes from lands in the eastern United States to accommodate white settlers had been embraced by President Andrew Jackson, many in Congress and the bulk of the population at large. Few were apologetic, believing that the tribes and their homes were obstacles to the spread of a superior civilization.
Native claims to eastern lands had often been guaranteed "forever" in treaties with the U.S. government in the early decades of the 19th century. However, the unstoppable westward drive of white settlers convinced authorities that many of those agreements should be scrapped and new ones negotiated that would assign the tribes to less desirable areas west of the Mississippi River.
Weakened by protracted warfare and motivated by bribes and threats, most tribes could not resist relocation. A few, however, took stands against expulsion and resorted to armed resistance or sought the protection of the courts.
Read Full Article »