Andrew Jackson
Zero of the Common Man
Jackson and Native Americans
The Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson was a man who despised Indians. He wanted them to be gone, so that white settlers could take what little land they had. After the discovery of gold on the Indian land, the Indian Removal Act was passed in 1830. The act said that the government could negotiate treaties that would require Native Americans to relocate to the west. As settlers started to come to their land, Native Americans soon saw no other choice but to sign the treaties and exchange their land for land in the west. By fall in 1831, many tribes were being relocated to territory around Oklahoma.
Worcester vs. Georgia
Although the Indian Removal Act was formed, not everyone decided to give into it. The Cherokees decided to fight back. They took their case to court, and it eventually became known as Worcester vs. Georgia. The court ruled that only the federal government had the power to make laws governing the Cherokees. But because Jackson did not like this ruling, he decided to ignore it and let Georgia go on with their laws.
The "Trail of Tears"
In 1838, federal troops rounded up about 16,000 Cherokees and forced them to leave their land and move to camps. Soldiers forced them out of their homes. They did not even let them get their stuff. They just had to leave. The journey west was very long. The Cherokees were forced to march in the cold winter, which resulted in many growing ill and weak. Many Native Americans died during this journey. This journey became known as the Trail of Tears, because Indians were forced to pick up their lives and move, on a sad, harsh, and strict journey.
Indian Removal Act 1830 Andrew Jackson
Jackson and Politics
The "Spoils System"
Andrew Jackson made a similar deal with his supporters as in the "Corrupt Bargain". If someone supported him during his campaign for president, he promised a government based job for them to have after he was elected. Although this can be viewed as a good thing, it could very well be bad because the people that he hires to do these jobs could not be qualified to have them at all, which could ultimately effect the nation as a whole. Because he did this, he took a huge risk involving our government.
The "Spoils System" Cartoon
Once Andrew Jackson got into office, he fired many very well qualified federal employees, and replaced them with political supporters of his. This cartoon shows how he spoiled those that had helped him, and how sometimes that did not work out in his favor. Under the pig he is on, it shows the words, fraud, bribery, and plunder. These words describe the spoils system, and how it worked. Dollar signs are also all over the picture, showing that the spoils system was run on the bribery of money.