Was Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Policy Motivated by
Humanitarian Impulses?
Authors: Anthony F. C. Wallace, Robert V. Remini,
A Summary By:
History 2111
Summer 2011

A summary comparison of views regarding the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Was it an act of humanitarianism intended to help and save the Native American culture from the white settlers, as Robert V. Remini has argued? Or was his intent to destroy the tribal culture and to get rid of the Native Americans, as Anthony F.C Wallace has argued?

Robert V. Remini argues that Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 was socially motivated by humanitarian impulses, and that Jackson’s actions where driven by the desire to save the culture and populace of the Native …show more content…

Mr. Wallace objects to the belief that Jackson was acting humanely, and leans towards a more harsh truth and assessment of President Jackson’s actions and motives. That Jacksons alternative motive for acting like he cared about the Indians to the public and the Tribes was all in an effort to remove the Tribes completely from the southern United States in order to acquire their land. The Act gave the president the power to set aside land in the western territories for the Indians to be moved into.

The 1820s was a new era for growth among banks, family farms; railroads in Georgia, with the Cherokee constitution in effect nullified Georgia law and made the Indian nation a “state within a state.” Georgia legislature 1828 passed a law after Andrew Jackson was elected president that extended the states jurisdiction over the Cherokees living within the state; Georgia was looking to force the president’s hand. Jackson quickly implemented a removal program that would resolve the Georgia’s crisis, but many would claim the removal was not justified but necessary to save the Indians from extinction. Even though President Jackson preferred the Act over any other alternative, he stated that the Removal Act was “most arduous part of my duty” (pg15). The Indian removal bill covered many emotional issues, such as Christian,