Majority vs. Minority Empathy (Indian Removal Act)
When one thinks of empathy, one usually first considers the good qualities of empathy. Empathy is thought to bring understanding and feeling for another’s position. And through many occasions, empathy has brought more understanding and feeling for others. As a result, empathy has brought relief and aid to many groups. Take for example the abolitionist movement, the movement influenced the majority to employ empathy for the slaves. The majority had to understand the situation of the slaves and understand the wrongness of the situation before they would abolish slavery. In this case, empathy succeeded in civilizing society. Empathy plays a very significant role in public policies but empathy does not always play the role of all good.
One of empathy’s darker moments was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Indian Removal Act was a law that gave President Andrew Jackson the power to grant unsettled land west of the Mississippi to the Natives in exchange for their ancestral lands. Many Natives agreed to the exchange except the Cherokees. This ultimately led to the tragedy that is now known as the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears became a dark spot in American history because more than 4,000 Cherokees lost their lives while being forcibly removed from …show more content…
Individuals will remain to feel that they are vassals, and to sink unheeded to despondency, despair, and extinction." Evarts concluded that the Removal Act's goal would not benefit the Natives like President Jackson and Senator Forsyth had suggested. The movement surged because of Evarts but sadly, his death in 1831 also dwindled the movements
When one thinks of empathy, one usually first considers the good qualities of empathy. Empathy is thought to bring understanding and feeling for another’s position. And through many occasions, empathy has brought more understanding and feeling for others. As a result, empathy has brought relief and aid to many groups. Take for example the abolitionist movement, the movement influenced the majority to employ empathy for the slaves. The majority had to understand the situation of the slaves and understand the wrongness of the situation before they would abolish slavery. In this case, empathy succeeded in civilizing society. Empathy plays a very significant role in public policies but empathy does not always play the role of all good.
One of empathy’s darker moments was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Indian Removal Act was a law that gave President Andrew Jackson the power to grant unsettled land west of the Mississippi to the Natives in exchange for their ancestral lands. Many Natives agreed to the exchange except the Cherokees. This ultimately led to the tragedy that is now known as the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears became a dark spot in American history because more than 4,000 Cherokees lost their lives while being forcibly removed from …show more content…
Individuals will remain to feel that they are vassals, and to sink unheeded to despondency, despair, and extinction." Evarts concluded that the Removal Act's goal would not benefit the Natives like President Jackson and Senator Forsyth had suggested. The movement surged because of Evarts but sadly, his death in 1831 also dwindled the movements