Westward Expansion: How did it Affect the Native Americans?

1. Westward Expansion: How did it Affect the Native Americans? By Jordan Williams

2. Native Americans from the Lower South • As the population of America grew with new settlers, there was a desire to move further South • However, there were already many Native Americans living in this region, in an area inhabited by their ancestors for many years • Five main tribes • Cherokee • Creek • Seminole • Choctaw • Chickasaw

3. In Favor of Indian Removal • Andrew Jackson • 1814 • Conquered a portion of the Creek tribe • Assisted in having 9 treaties made to expel Native Americans from their homelands in the west • After taking office, made the Indian Removal Act become in effect

4. Indian Removal Act • 1830 • Gave the President of the United States to control the location and settlement of the Native American tribes east of the Mississippi River • The movement was supposed to be peaceful yet turned into a harsh, forced removal • Native Americans were allowed to remain in their homelands if they would become proper, Americanized citizens

5. What Happened to Each Tribe? • Choctaws signed a removal treaty • Some tried to stay and adapt the American culture while others moved west • Eventually, white settlers pressed the entire tribe west of the Mississippi River • Seminoles were tricked into signing a treaty • The tribe declared the removal treaty unjust • Started the Second and Third Seminole Wars • Eventually, the government paid the Seminoles to leave their land

6. What Happened to Each Tribe? • The Creeks signed a treaty giving a portion of their land to white settlers • Settlers began to occupy their land illegally • The Creeks complained and eventually the government forced them from their homeland • The Chickasaws knew that there was no other choice • Singed a treaty agreeing to move in return for protection while heading west- protection was never provided • Migrated during the winter of 1837

7. The Trail of Tears • The Cherokee Indians were tricked into signing a treaty- the Treaty of New Echota. • Were given two years to migrate west • Since very few had migrated at the end of the two years, the remainder of the tribe was brutally forced west of the Mississippi River during the winter of 1837-1838. • The path that they took was called the Trail of Tears as many Native Americans lost their lives on this perilous journey • Nearly 4,000 perished over the entire trip

8. Trail of Tears

9. Sources • http://thepersianhorse.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/trail-of-tears-american-native-indians-and-the-wild-horses-a-tribute/ • http://www.squidoo.com/andrew-jackson • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html