Looking back on history, it is now clear how devastating the removal of the Cherokee people was, but how did those involved view it? Based on the evidence provided, white Americans tended to view the removal policy in split opinions, while the Native Americans had a generally bad view of the policy. The Indian Removal policy caused for a stir of positive and negative opinions in the United States, by both the Cherokee nation and white Americans. The white perspective of the Indian removal was a generally accepting one, though more Americans preferred the idea of the Cherokee becoming citizens. Andrew Jackson stated that if the Cherokee people were to remain within the limits of the states not western of Mississippi, then their civilization
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According to the “Petition of Cherokee Women,” they believed that God had put them on this land to cultivate and grow. They begged for their leaders not to sell the land and to remain (p.133). Elias Boudinot summarized his opinion as follows, “...while a portion of the community have been, in the most laudable manner, engaged in using efforts to civilize and christianize the Indian, another portion of the same community have been busy in counteracting those efforts.” (p.136). By this, he was referring to the men, who wish to forcibly remove the Cherokee from their land, as the portion of men who had been trying to counteract the community’s efforts in civilizing the Native Americans. John Ross, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Indians, and the “Memorial and Protest of the Cherokee Nation” had similar issues with the removal policy, in that the New Echota treaty was viewed as fraudulent. Ross did state that they would not object to becoming citizens and conforming to the country’s laws. This conformation would require the protection and the privileges of the country’s laws, as well (p.137). The “Memorial and Protest of the Cherokee Nation” vehemently disagreed with the policy. They found the New Echota treaty to be fraudulent, as it was signed by unauthorized individuals (p.138). Despite peaceful petitioning, any efforts made on their part was met with resistance. The greatest example of this that they give is when gold was found on Georgia land. Indians were banned digging for the gold and thus, many Cherokee were arrested, tried, imprisoned, and abused (p.139). Despite their previous concerns being ignored, they continued to press the Senate and House of Representatives over the matter of the removal policy and the New Echota treaty. They described the “treaty” in this way, “...the instrument entered into at New Echota, purporting to be a treaty, is deceptive to the world, and
According to the “Petition of Cherokee Women,” they believed that God had put them on this land to cultivate and grow. They begged for their leaders not to sell the land and to remain (p.133). Elias Boudinot summarized his opinion as follows, “...while a portion of the community have been, in the most laudable manner, engaged in using efforts to civilize and christianize the Indian, another portion of the same community have been busy in counteracting those efforts.” (p.136). By this, he was referring to the men, who wish to forcibly remove the Cherokee from their land, as the portion of men who had been trying to counteract the community’s efforts in civilizing the Native Americans. John Ross, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Indians, and the “Memorial and Protest of the Cherokee Nation” had similar issues with the removal policy, in that the New Echota treaty was viewed as fraudulent. Ross did state that they would not object to becoming citizens and conforming to the country’s laws. This conformation would require the protection and the privileges of the country’s laws, as well (p.137). The “Memorial and Protest of the Cherokee Nation” vehemently disagreed with the policy. They found the New Echota treaty to be fraudulent, as it was signed by unauthorized individuals (p.138). Despite peaceful petitioning, any efforts made on their part was met with resistance. The greatest example of this that they give is when gold was found on Georgia land. Indians were banned digging for the gold and thus, many Cherokee were arrested, tried, imprisoned, and abused (p.139). Despite their previous concerns being ignored, they continued to press the Senate and House of Representatives over the matter of the removal policy and the New Echota treaty. They described the “treaty” in this way, “...the instrument entered into at New Echota, purporting to be a treaty, is deceptive to the world, and