As the West of the Appalachian Mountains became known as the “Indian Land” proclaimed by the King of England in 1763, as properly known as the Proclamation Line of 1763, the U. S. government believed it to be part of their land after their gain of independence from Britain. The reason for this happening was due to the fact that the Indians lost to the French in the French and Indian war which was also known as the brutal Seven Years’ War from 1754-1763. As a result, The U.S. took advantage of the situation and insisted on acquiring the land of the Indians in the West through three different policies (Chris ...
Unfortunately, this great relationship that was built between the natives and the colonists of mutual respect and gain was coming to a screeching halt. In the start of the 1830s, the United States government began to realize it’s newfound strength and stability. It was decided that the nation had new and growing needs and aspirations, one of these being the idea of “Manifest Destiny”. Its continuous growth in population began to require much more resources and ultimately, land. The government started off as simply bargaining and persuading the Indian tribes to push west from their homeland. The Indians began to disagree and peacefully object and fight back. The United States government then felt they had no other option but to use force. In Indian Removal Act was signed by Andrew Jackson on May 18, 1830. This ultimately resulted in the relocation of the Eastern tribes out west, even as far as to the edge of the Great Plains. A copy of this act is laid out for you in the book, Th...
This land was Ohio, much of the Mississippi valley and Canada. This at first was pleasing to the colonists because they saw the opportunity to expand, many even began purchasing land. These plans were cut short with the Proclamation of 1763. The proclamation declared that there would be no expansion past the Appellation Mountains. This proclamation was an attempt to cease quarrels with the Native Americans and even obtain their cooperation. This angered the colonists because they felt that they were entitled to the new land that Britain had just procured. Also following the French and Indian War was the Quartering Act. In 1765 the British forced the colonists to house British Soldiers. The British felt that it would be wise to keep soldiers in the colonies, not only to protect its new land from threats, but to also keep an eye on the colonies. Quartering soldiers in the colonist’s houses would save the British Empire a substantial amount of money. The colonists would be asked to build barracks for the soldiers, however the cost would be too high so they refused to build. Another reason this angered the colonists was, they felt it unnecessary to have troops when they had a
The “Utmost Good Faith” clause from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 however, stated, “The utmost good faith shall always be observed toward the Indians; their land and property shall not be taken from them without their consent; and in their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed.” (Document 9). However, a letter from three Seneca Indian leaders to George Washington, President of the United States, argued, “When your army entered the country of Six (Iroquois) Nations, we called you the town destroyer; to this day, when your name is heard, our women look behind them and turn pale, and our children cling to the necks of their mothers…” (Document 10). This, in fact, proves the American Revolution was not revolutionary because the Indians were promised the “Utmost Good Faith” and that their land and property would never be invaded or disturbed, but their towns were left completely devastated and halted society from changing into a better
6. The Indians had been ignored in the Declaration of Independence, had not been considered equal, certainly not in choosing who would govern the American territories in which they lived, nor in being able to pursue happiness as they had before the Europeans arrived. But with the British no longer in charge, the Americans were free to push the Indians off their land and kill them if they resisted. Before the Revolution, the Indians had worked out co existence with the colonies but with the colonial population growing fast after the war, the pressure to move westward for new land was causing conflict with the Indians.
The war the American Revolution caused many British settlers to push westward. These settlers began to compete with the Cherokees for land. The Cherokee were glad when the Proclamation of 1763 was put into effect. This prevented settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. Most of the settlers became enemies. The settlers attacked the Cherokees, destroying many towns and killing many people. This attack caused the Cherokees to end their participation in the American Revolution. The American colonist continued to take over the Cherokee land.
After the French and Indian War, England had gained new territories west of the Appalachian mountains for which the Crown had specific plans which was to be laid out in the form of a proclamation. 1 The King issued the proclamation of 1763 which said that colonists would be prohibited from settling in the new lands west of the Appalachian divide. The King proclaimed that the newly acquired lands would be given to the Indians and no settlers could cross the divide, except traders licensed by the Crown. The Proclamation of 1763 was seen as the best way to prevent violence with the Indians, and keep the colonies close to the mother country. “western expansion seemed a good way to save money, prevent trouble with the Indians, and keep the colonies tied closely to the mother country.” (The American Nation 100). The Proclamation of 1763 was quickly followed by the Sugar Act , in 1764 and the Stamp Act a year later. These three decisions by the Crown brought together Colonists in opposition to the decisions and eventually opposition to the Crown itself. These Colonists, these soon to be revolutionaries and nation builders
Prior to the 1830’s, the United States government did not make it’s aspirations of attaining Indian lands, but rather Indians were given rights to be treated as nations, and protected their rights according to the Constitution. According to the letter to President George Washington from Henry Knox, “The Indians being the prior occupants, possess the right of the soil. It cannot be taken from them unless by their free consent, or by the right of conquest in case of a just war” (Doc B). To add on, the United States believed that “intrusions upon the lands of the friendly Indian tribes, is not only a violation of law, but in direct opposition to the policy for the government towards its savage neighbor” (Doc G) was considerate of the Indians’ territories. Therefore, this indicates that the government of the United States did not want to take any risk and was rather cautious against having the desire to obtain the Natives’ land.
In 1763 the proclamation of 1763 drew a line on the Appalachian Mountains that forbid settlers from traveling west of the mountains. The Indians were excited about this, it would stop the invasion of their lands and the battles they fought to protect it. It eventually failed as settlers moved into the Ohio valley anyways.
When the Virginia Co., chartered by King James I, arrived in Virginia in 1607, the Virginia Co. gave land freely to men who payed their own voyage to Virginia. For every servant or family member who accompanied whose voyage was also payed for, 50 acres of land was given. In Massachusetts, land was allocated to wealthy individuals who were well connected with higher-ups or royal officials. Both settlements seeing that they have a right to just take and claim their land proved to be a big issue. The colonists figured that since the Native Americans did not have visible claims on land, that said land was free for the taking. Also, from the Native American point of view, they assumed that they would be sharing land with the colonists, not being robbed of it. Moreover, the Puritans even punished the Native Americans for not using the land to its maximum potential. The disagreements and different religious outlooks between the settlements and the Native Americans resulted in wars such as the Pequot War (1636) and the King Philips War (1675). This is significant because over the next hundreds of years, Native Americans would continue to get pushed out from their own homeland, and, set a precedent that we, Americans, can take virtually anything we
...convince us Indians that our removal was necessary and beneficial. In my eyes, the agreement only benefited Andrew Jackson. It is apparent that Jackson neglected to realize how the Indian Removal act would affect us Indians. When is the government justified in forcibly removing people from the land they occupy? If you were a Native American, how would you have respond to Jackson? These questions need to be taken into consideration when determining whether or not Jackson was justified. After carefully examining these questions and considering both the pros and cons of this act, I’m sure you would agree that the removal of Native Americans was not justified under the administration of Andrew Jackson. Jackson was not able to see the damaging consequences of the Indian removal act because of his restricted perspective.
The colonists have to deal with a government that is trying to dictate what and how things should be done in America, from across the ocean, and they are starting to realize that they should have a voice for their own well being. The Proclamation of 1763 is just the beginning of the rebellion towards the British and their control over the colonists.
The generalization that, “The decision of the Jackson administration to remove the Cherokee Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s was more a reformulation of the national policy that had been in effect since the 1790s than a change in that policy,” is valid. Ever since the American people arrived at the New World they have continually driven the Native Americans out of their native lands. Many people wanted to contribute to this removal of the Cherokees and their society. Knox proposed a “civilization” of the Indians. President Monroe continued Knox’s plan by developing ways to rid of the Indians, claiming it would be beneficial to all. Andrew Jackson ultimately fulfilled the plan. First of all, the map [Document A] indicates the relationship between time, land, and policies, which affected the Indians. The Indian Tribes have been forced to give up their land as early as the 1720s. Between the years of 1721 and 1785, the Colonial and Confederation treaties forced the Indians to give up huge portions of their land. During Washington's, Monroe's, and Jefferson's administration, more and more Indian land was being commandeered by the colonists. The Washington administration signed the Treaty of Holston and other supplements between the time periods of 1791 until 1798 that made the Native Americans give up more of their homeland land. The administrations during the 1790's to the 1830's had gradually acquired more and more land from the Cherokee Indians. Jackson followed that precedent by the acquisition of more Cherokee lands. In later years, those speaking on behalf of the United States government believed that teaching the Indians how to live a more civilized life would only benefit them. Rather than only thinking of benefiting the Indians, we were also trying to benefit ourselves. We were looking to acquire the Indians’ land. In a letter to George Washington, Knox says we should first is to destroy the Indians with an army, and the second is to make peace with them. The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1793 began to put Knox’s plan into effect. The federal government’s promise of supplying the Indians with animals, agricultural tool...
The beginning of 1763 marked one of the major events that would contribute to the end of British colonial relations. On February 3, 1763 the French and Indian War finally ended in British victory, but while the British celebrated the French’s defeat, colonists feared the oncoming reverberations the war would have on them. The main motive behind the war was for possession over the French fur trade territory in North America. To the colonists, the war was being fought by and for Britain not the colonies. The benefits of the victory only pertained to Britain. The after effect of the war for the colonies was the trampling on their need for expansion. During the war, Native Americans had fought with the French because of how well they treated them. Britain was notorious for abusing the Native Americans, therefore once the French were defeated; they began attacking western settlements of colonists. To avoid confrontation, the Proclamation of 1763 was passed by Parliament. The Proclamation established a limit to the greatly needed colonial expansion. Specifically, the Proclamation forbid settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The passing of the Proclamation of 1763 infuriated colonists ...
One of the critical tasks that faced the new nation of the United States was establishing a healthy relationship with the Native Americans (Indians). “The most serious obstacle to peaceful relations between the United States and the Indians was the steady encroachment of white settlers on the Indian lands. The Continental Congress, following [George] Washington’s suggestion, issued a proclamation prohibiting unauthorized settlement or purchase of Indian land.” (Prucha, 3) Many of the Indian tribes had entered into treaties with the French and British and still posed a military threat to the new nation.