The Long Bitter Trail essays

The Long Bitter Trail essays Jackson was first considered a president of the people because he supported the common man and nationalism. He had a strong yet stubborn personality and for the most part began his presidential career as a well liked man. However, some of Jacksons supporters were not fully aware of his views and intentions. When Andrew Jackson had to make a decision on the Indian removal, both he and the government were divided over the whole question of an Indian Removable Act. He eventually became one of the acts largest supporters. In his two terms, Jackson used the powers as president very unfairly. By doing this, Jackson found away to get rid of the Indians. Jackson used the discovery of gold to enacted the Indian Removal Act in 1803 and signed it into the law, which required all Indian tribes had to leave and head west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory; reservations in what is now present day Oklahoma. In 1830 the Indians were battling it out in the Supreme Court. A new law was pas sed that said Cherokees would be under state law instead of federal law. This allowed them no protection at all. They had no way to protect themselves or their land with this change. They tried to fight this change but the Indians were told they could not sue because they were not a nation outside the United States so the Cherokees lost their case. They were eventually ruled a domestic dependant nation. This would allow them to be able to receive federal protection. Jackson overruled this decision. There is no actual story but the history of the Andrew Jackson and the Indians itself. I think Wallace intended the story for audiences who were interested in that time period and the expansion of the United States. Wallace wanted to inform his readers about how Indians were treated in the 1800s and Andrew Jacksons idea to take their land away just to expand the United States and gain gold. The decision of the Jackson administrati...