Andrew Jackson's Goals Of As Long As Grass Grows And Water Runs

Sarah Autry

Zinn Chapter “As long as Grass grows and water runs”

1. Jefferson’s Goals

• Under President Jefferson, the removal of Indians is beginning to progress (specifically the Cherokees and Creeks). This is due to the increase in white population living in the west. More hostilities arose with the actions of William Henry Harrison near Indiana. With the Louisiana Purchase under Jefferson, the land in the Rockies and in the West was assumed by Jefferson to be new land for the Indians to stay. Settlements were encouraged for the Indians as well as trade and purchasing of land.

2. Indian Removal in Terms of the Economy

• The more Indians that moved out of the South and farther west meant that the land that they were leaving would be free

This decision was made when southern states (Alabama, Georgia, etc.) tried to rule the Indians with state power. They tried to take away the rights of tribes by taxing them but not allowing them to vote, by outlawing meetings and denying the right to testify. Their land was ceased and put into a lottery, but Congress declared that only the federal government had these powers with the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act (1802).

6. Jackson’s Reaction

• Andrew Jackson, an intense enemy of Native Americans, was not president at the time. When Congress established the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act, Jackson refused to follow it (nullification) and instead helped the state with their actions. He fully supported the state decision. This is ironic to his later decisions as president for more power to the federal government.

7. Gold in GA

• After the gold is discovered in 1829, whites start flooding into Georgia and attack Cherokee settlements. They take up Cherokee lands and put down their own claims to start mining. However, Jackson sent troops to stop the invasion and the mining. Once both were fixed, Jackson took out the troops and the white invaders returned. By this time, Jackson left the situation to be dealt with by the Georgia government. Once the whites returned, Indians were attacked, beaten, and starved

Creek – The Creeks tried to fight for their land until they signed the Treaty of Washington which agreed to their removal. However, this treaty led to invasion of their land in which the federal government did not help. The Creeks went quickly from their land with the help of a new treaty but many Creeks still refused to leave. When the Creek attacked whites, the federal government decided that the Creeks had given up their rights of the treaties and had to be forced out. A few made an agreement to fight against the Seminoles in order to stay at home, but this did not happen. After the Seminole War, they too were forced out.

d. Cherokee – The Cherokees tried to use nonviolence and assimilation to live peacefully among the whites; however, at New Echota they were forced to move to the west and they underwent a forceful removal referred to as the Trail of Tears in 1838.

e. Seminole – The Seminoles did not want to leave so they began to fight in the Seminole War. They signed a treaty to live in the interior of Florida, but the conditions were unlivable, so they decided to come together and attack the whites along the Floridian coast. Many were captured or killed.

14. Webster and