Native Americans 1815-1848

1. Native Americans 1815-1848 Libby and Carol

2. Natives in the Constitution • Only mentioned three times in the Constitution • Article 1: excluded Indians “not taxed’ from being counted in the population • Article 1: gave Congress power to regulate trade with Indians • Article 4: treaties made before the Constitution had to be honored after its writing

3. Pre-existing Conflicts with the Natives • Battle of Fallen Timbers- 1794: final battle of the Northwest Indian War • Treaty of Greenville- 1795: Indians gave up claim to most of land in Ohio Valley • Battle of Tippecanoe- 1811: Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa tried to stop American expansion into Indiana and Illinois

4. Assimilation of the Natives • Between the years of 1819 and 1829, Cherokees had an independent nation within the U.S. boundaries • Indians became farmers • Sequoyah created Cherokee Alphabet • “Five civilized nations”

5. “Five Civilized Nations” • Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole found in modern day GA, AL, MS, FL • Adopted agricultural economy, republican form of government, institution of slavery because Jefferson had promised citizenship

6. Cherokee’s relationship with Jackson • “…Cherokee nation never again made war against the United States. Indeed, the tribe allied with Andrew Jackson against their old enemies the Creeks and played a major part n his victory at Horseshoe Bend in 1814” (Howe, 343).

7. Jackson’s opinions about Natives • Favored removing eastern Indians to lands beyond Mississippi • Even before he became president, he was involved in persuading and coercing groups to emigrate • “His own attitude toward Indians was that they were children when they did the white man’s bidding and savage beasts when they resisted” (American Stories, 276)

8. Indian Removal Act • 1830 • Georgia annulled the Cherokee Constitution and had their lands seized. • Alabama and Mississippi follow suit; Unconstitutional

9. Cherokee vs. Georgia • 1831 • Marshall ruled that Georgia could not enter Cherokee lands and remove Indians • Supreme Court sided with Indians but the ruling was not enforced • “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it” –Jackson • Ruling made the Supreme Court look inferior to the executive.

10. Worcester vs. Georgia • 1832 • The idea that prohibiting non-Indians from being present on Indian lands without a license was unconstitutional

11. Trail of Tears • 1838 • Funds were granted for the relocation of the Cherokee • Given two years to vacate their lands and move to a new territory in modern day Oklahoma • Approximately 2,000 died

12. Cherokee Travels

13. Effects of Trail of Tears • Cherokee re-established agrarian society in NE Oklahoma, set up new government and signed constitution in 1839 • By 1842, most of the 5 civilized tribes had been moved from their lands and settled in SE Oklahoma

14. Anti-Indian Removal • Natives had to rely on white government officials to fight their battles because they weren’t allowed in government. • Protestant women and clergy were the most vocal against Indian Removal. • Jeremiah Evarts creates ABCFM whose purpose is to counter Indian Removal. • Catherine Beecher led women’s opposition to the removal • “…defenders of morality, charity, and family values, women were free to ‘feel for the distressed’” (349, Howe)

15. People to Note • William Henry Harrison: a victor in Battle of Tippecanoe and a representative of the Whigs • Henry Clay: Great Compromiser and a representative of the War Hawks (later becomes a Whig) • John C. Calhoun: secretary of State for Monroe and vice president for John Q. Adams and Jackson (distrustful of minorities and pro-slavery) • John Eaton: Jackson’s secretary of War