M2- The "Benevolent Policy"

     After reviewing several of the web resources I decided to choose information from the Library of Congress. The link was to their Virtual Services Web page about the Indian Removal Act. This source was selected to obtain accurate information about historical events related to Native Americans. Available are copies of the transcripts of the US Senate and House of Representatives debate on the Indian Removal Act. President Andrew Jackson signed in to law the Indian Removal Act on May 28, 1830. By doing this he was allowed to exchange unsettled lands West of the Mississippi for the land that belonged to Native Americans within current state borders.
    A Bill was submitted to the Senate on February 22, 1830 by Senator Hugh Lawson White from Tennessee. Senator White replaced Andrew Jackson in the Senate and was one of the Presidents allies for states rights. The bill had been drafted by the Committee of Indian Affairs who then issued their report to the Senate. The bill was debated by the Senate seven times between April 9, 1830 and April 23, 1830. It was passed by a vote of 28 to 19 on April 24, 1830.
     In reviewing the debates I found that some of the Senators that were opposed to the act attempted to add provisions to protect the rights of the tribes. Mr. Frelinghuysen proposed that the tribes should have the right to their land until they moved. This was rejected. Later Mr. Sprague proposed that the tribes who chose to move would be guaranteed their rights to the land as was stated in treaties. This amendment was negatived. Other attempts were made by the two senators to protect the rights of the Cherokee based on treaties with the US and make sure the land that the tribes were being moved to were guaranteed to be theirs. All of these provisions were rejected.
     When President Jackson gave his Annual Message to Congress on December 6, 1830 he stated "It gives me pleasure to announce to Congress that the benevolent policy of the Government, steadily pursued for nearly thirty years, in relation to the removal of the Indians beyond white settlements is approaching a happy consummation" (Library of Congress). A review of history will show that there was not anything benevolent about this policy or future policies in regards to the removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands. This resource supported the views that I have had about the treatment of Native Americans by the US government.

Reference:
The Library of Congress. Primary Documents in American History. Indian Removal Act. Virtual
     Services Web Page. Web. 5 December 2017.

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