The Cherokee Trail of Tears: Symbol of Callousness in American History - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Cherokee "Trail of Tears" has become one of the major symbols in American history that demonstrate and signify the callousness of the American policymaker towards the American Indians. It should be noted that during this period, the Indians were held hostage by the state hence they had to agree on the federal government removal in order to preserve their identities. There has been a complexity of reasons regarding why President Andrew Jackson adopted this policy in the 19th century. However, there are various moral objections that have been identified by various scholars and researchers regarding the issue. The removal of the Indians has massive ramifications in history and has even been demonstrated to have serious effects in the modern American society regarding social integration, economics, and governance considering the high population of Indians and other people of color in the states. In this regard, the impact of the removal of the native populations has led to the debate regarding the demographics in the country. Some of the issues of concern in the modern society include the extent in the loss of lives among the immigrants which demonstrates the ability of the people to maintain the community structures like relationships of kin and clans. Therefore, there is a need to explore the "Trail of Tears" to understand how the loss of life and population due to this policy affected the Cherokee nation and the possible nature if the removal had to taken place. This entails the dynamic ability of communities to adapt to new environments in modern society.

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Thesis: Therefore, the "Trail of Tears" demonstrates a significant historical event and policy which was instigated by propaganda that led the US president Andrew Jackson to adopt the policy of Indian removal which has demonstrated massive social-political consequences even in the modern US society.

Analysis of the Event

Historical Event

The Cherokee "Trail of Tears" is a historical event that entailed the migration of the Cherokee nation east of Mississippi River to the new location that they are settled at. This was part of Andrew Jackson's policy of Indian removal in 1838-1839. It was named the "Trail of Tears" due to the devastating effects it had on the people. The immigrants faced diseases, hunger, and exhaustion, which resulted in about 4,000 to 15,000 deaths of Cherokees. Therefore, Worcester vs. Georgia, 1832 and the Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia, 1831 are considered to be two of the most important legal decisions in Indian law. These devastating effects are seen to have led to the violent conflict cases that took place in the Land hence the succeeding treaties that compelled the tribes to cede the vast areas to the US government. This research investigation will, therefore, seek to evaluate the rationale of the treaties and the impact it had on the social and economic issues of the Indian population in the area. For example, the development ignored the contribution of the Cherokees regarding crop growing and other economic activities. It is essential to evaluate what the government had to gain with this policy if successfully implemented.

Secondary Sources

To achieve this, two secondary sources: "Trail of tears: The rise and fall of the Cherokee Nation," an eBook by highly-acclaimed author John Ehle, and "The Great Amnesia" an article by Drew Bettina will be used. These two sources will be utilized to study the event and understand its consequences. The secondary sources chosen explain the chronology of events, the underlying issues leading to the migration, and the impacts of the movement both to the Cherokees and the neighboring population. The articles are credible pieces of materials since they are peer-reviewed, which makes them appropriate for this study. Through the use of these articles, the research question "What propaganda that led the president Andrew Jackson to create the Indian removal Policy?" will be explored. This will facilitate the understanding of the political environment surrounding the Indian immigration policy.

Primary Sources

To investigate the question for this research, two primary sources will also be used in addition to the secondary sources, primary sources are imperative in historical research as they provide accurate first-hand information of the account of events that took place in history. The two primary sources that will be used are the "Letter from President Andrew Jackson to the Cherokee Nation of March 16, 1835" and the "Two Accounts of Life on the Trail of Tears" by John G. Burnett (a Cherokee messenger). The letter of President Jackson gives the account of the directions that were sent to the Cherokee nation and the actual demands that were made to them. On the other hand, the two accounts of Burnett illustrates the actual events that were observed and witnessed by the Cherokee messenger following the orders by the government. Therefore, the two primary sources will serve as important documents for the completion of this research based on the research question.

Research Question

It has been established that "The Trail of Tears" has become a symbol in the American history that signifies the callousness of the American policymakers towards the American Indians. However, there is a need to understand the events that made the policy to be adopted by American President Andrew Jackson. Therefore, the research question below will be analyzed which will facilitate the understanding of the political environment surrounding the Indian immigration policy.

Research Question: What propaganda that led President Andrew Jackson to create the Indian removal Policy?

Audience

The audience for this research is the general American population especially the policymakers in the Senate and Congress. It should be noted that the issues that led to the Indian removal were complex and have impacted on modern governance and policy-making in the US. Therefore, the policymakers would be much interested in this research as it would ensure that the challenges that were witnessed in history are not repeated. Besides, history should teach the present to take certain measures to improve the current situation.

Tailoring of Message

To communicate effectively to the policymakers and the general population in the US, I will articulate the issues and their relevance in contemporary society. To achieve this, I will draw compelling arguments with supportive quotes from the primary sources which present an account of actual events that took place. I will also support the same with secondary sources of which have investigated the issue to compare and support my arguments. I have also noted that the complexity of the reasons for the removal comes from the later historical interpretation of issues that put the current affairs of governance into the larger context of the American history and also explains their experiences. In this regard, I will illustrate to the audience how history plays a role in the changing social issues and economic changes in the US regarding the post-revolutionary war era. The various aspects and dimensions including the religious justifications will be explored and how they influence the current situation.

References

A letter from President Andrew Jackson to the Cherokee Nation about the benefits of voluntary removal, March 16, 1835. Retrieved from: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/cherokee-removal-and-the-trail-of-tears/sources/1506

Burnett, J. (1839). Two accounts of life on the Trail of Tears. Retrieved from: http://www.bringinghistoryhome.org/assets/bringinghistoryhome/(3)%20indianremoval.pdf