For many years in the newly developing America, there was a lot of debate about what to do with the so called “Indian problem”. Americans sought out various ways to remove the Indian population from lands in the east and eventually the west too as they continued to expand. There were four primary ideas that were proposed: to exterminate the Indian population, to assimilate them into American culture, to protect them on their ancestral lands (which just wasn’t likely to happen), or to move them to distant lands (which was seen as the Christian and humane thing to do). With these concepts in mind, congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 under the presidency of Andrew Jackson. This act was to then be carried out by Jackson negotiating
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Sauk leader, Black Hawk, discussed in his autobiography the wrongful treatment from the Americans. Black Hawk spoke about how the Indians did not have proper understanding of the treaties that were signed that claimed to have sold their lands. He was opposed to the relocation and tried to negotiate with the Americans to have the right to live on their lands, however, it seemed there was a constant issue of miscommunication. He complained that “the white people brought whiskey to [the] villages, made [them] drink, and cheated them out of their homes, guns, and traps.” Black Hawk also told of how some women and children were beaten by the white men and for a time thought it might be best to relocate honorably and to live in peace if proposed with respect by the president himself or if they were payed adequately for their lands. However the president would not do so, nor would William Clark offer any money for their lands. Instead they were told that if they didn’t leave they would soon be forcibly driven off. Black Hawk’s response was to stay in the village and await his fate, which ultimately led to the Black Hawk War in which many Sauk Indians died (The Autobiography of Black Hawk). Black Hawk was later arrested and the remainder of the Sauk tribe relocated to new lands to live amongst other native
Sauk leader, Black Hawk, discussed in his autobiography the wrongful treatment from the Americans. Black Hawk spoke about how the Indians did not have proper understanding of the treaties that were signed that claimed to have sold their lands. He was opposed to the relocation and tried to negotiate with the Americans to have the right to live on their lands, however, it seemed there was a constant issue of miscommunication. He complained that “the white people brought whiskey to [the] villages, made [them] drink, and cheated them out of their homes, guns, and traps.” Black Hawk also told of how some women and children were beaten by the white men and for a time thought it might be best to relocate honorably and to live in peace if proposed with respect by the president himself or if they were payed adequately for their lands. However the president would not do so, nor would William Clark offer any money for their lands. Instead they were told that if they didn’t leave they would soon be forcibly driven off. Black Hawk’s response was to stay in the village and await his fate, which ultimately led to the Black Hawk War in which many Sauk Indians died (The Autobiography of Black Hawk). Black Hawk was later arrested and the remainder of the Sauk tribe relocated to new lands to live amongst other native