Trail of tears has been propagandized, I'm a big fan of Jackson. Basically he said that Indians could stay anywhere they wanted, including the southeast but they had to start following US laws and basically not be given special favors and treatment anymore. The ones who left to mid-America were the ones who were going to get their free land and special treatment.
All but one band in NC ( a band is an alliance of smaller tribes ) are natives not recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, that stayed as subjects to NC law as resident non-reservation citizens of NC (and thus US citizens). They receive no federal aid or allowances from any governmental organizations. They simply adapted to the changes and worked and owned businesses and paid taxes like anyone else in NC, and they even voted in elections, mostly for Republicans.
It's not sauce for "Jackson said..." But it is sauce identifying a pervasive and verifiably skewed narrative. It's easy to find numerous instances of tribes that never went West. That throws off the forced genocidal death march narrative.
The chiefs had a choice and the chiefs made a choice. Their tribes suffered their chiefs' choices and their chiefs shifted the blame off of their own shoulders when the going got tough.
Much of this is just incorrect. The real issue was dispute over who was the "rightful" chief of the Cherokee. The "Red Stick" War was essentially a civil war within the Cherokee Nation. The results played into how "diplomacy" with the USA ensued. Fact is, whites wanted Cherokees completely gone and wanted their land. States enacted laws to basically take it from them, "legally." Federal government policy prior, was to treat tribes as sovereign entities, just like they would European states. Jackson changed course and told SCOTUS to fuck off... "Mr. Marshall made his ruling, now let him enforce it." Thing is, SCOTUS was correct. Jackson was wrong. Treaty of New Echota wasn't valid, since the Cherokee signers were not the lawful leaders of the Nation. And yes, the removal of the Cherokee was forced.
Now granted, the rightful leader of the Cherokee, John Ross, was kind of a shit... he was mixed (Scottish father), and "civilized", owning slaves and a plantation. His brother owned even more slaves. Major Ridge also wasn't the greatest...
Point? The situation was much more complex than often taught. But ultimately, the US Federal government, under Jackson's command, absolutely fucked the Cherokee, especially those who allied with Jackson during the Red Stick War and against the British.
Thank you for the effort, I am sure it is meant well but the narrative has been to lump all natives together and then point at the Cherokee specifically to paint an over-simplified picture of native grievance. You mean well, but basically you just brought up specifically the Cherokee too. It seems like everyone does exactly this. (fair for you to do this, as this is a thread about Andrew Jackson.)
I am sure I am oversimplifying too, but bear with me, look at where most tribes settled (a third of the Cherokee tribes stayed put on ancestral land), the majority of native tribes in general carved out their reservations right where they chose to, on the lands they claimed ancestral affinity for. We definitely encroached on what they wanted to claim (they wanted to claim everything, often claiming other tribes' lands too).
Maybe Jackson didn't betray them, he just knew them well, and was sick of their bullshit.
Trail of tears has been propagandized, I'm a big fan of Jackson. Basically he said that Indians could stay anywhere they wanted, including the southeast but they had to start following US laws and basically not be given special favors and treatment anymore. The ones who left to mid-America were the ones who were going to get their free land and special treatment.
Thanks!
Not disagreeing with you. But could you point me in the direction of these assertions?
https://www.ncpedia.org/tribes
All but one band in NC ( a band is an alliance of smaller tribes ) are natives not recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, that stayed as subjects to NC law as resident non-reservation citizens of NC (and thus US citizens). They receive no federal aid or allowances from any governmental organizations. They simply adapted to the changes and worked and owned businesses and paid taxes like anyone else in NC, and they even voted in elections, mostly for Republicans.
It's not sauce for "Jackson said..." But it is sauce identifying a pervasive and verifiably skewed narrative. It's easy to find numerous instances of tribes that never went West. That throws off the forced genocidal death march narrative.
The chiefs had a choice and the chiefs made a choice. Their tribes suffered their chiefs' choices and their chiefs shifted the blame off of their own shoulders when the going got tough.
Much of this is just incorrect. The real issue was dispute over who was the "rightful" chief of the Cherokee. The "Red Stick" War was essentially a civil war within the Cherokee Nation. The results played into how "diplomacy" with the USA ensued. Fact is, whites wanted Cherokees completely gone and wanted their land. States enacted laws to basically take it from them, "legally." Federal government policy prior, was to treat tribes as sovereign entities, just like they would European states. Jackson changed course and told SCOTUS to fuck off... "Mr. Marshall made his ruling, now let him enforce it." Thing is, SCOTUS was correct. Jackson was wrong. Treaty of New Echota wasn't valid, since the Cherokee signers were not the lawful leaders of the Nation. And yes, the removal of the Cherokee was forced.
Now granted, the rightful leader of the Cherokee, John Ross, was kind of a shit... he was mixed (Scottish father), and "civilized", owning slaves and a plantation. His brother owned even more slaves. Major Ridge also wasn't the greatest...
Point? The situation was much more complex than often taught. But ultimately, the US Federal government, under Jackson's command, absolutely fucked the Cherokee, especially those who allied with Jackson during the Red Stick War and against the British.
Some good reading on the subject:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008W3FTR6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image
Thank you for the effort, I am sure it is meant well but the narrative has been to lump all natives together and then point at the Cherokee specifically to paint an over-simplified picture of native grievance. You mean well, but basically you just brought up specifically the Cherokee too. It seems like everyone does exactly this. (fair for you to do this, as this is a thread about Andrew Jackson.)
I am sure I am oversimplifying too, but bear with me, look at where most tribes settled (a third of the Cherokee tribes stayed put on ancestral land), the majority of native tribes in general carved out their reservations right where they chose to, on the lands they claimed ancestral affinity for. We definitely encroached on what they wanted to claim (they wanted to claim everything, often claiming other tribes' lands too).
Maybe Jackson didn't betray them, he just knew them well, and was sick of their bullshit.
Nobody "left" to go west... they were forced. By Jackson, who betrayed them and unlawfully ignored a constitutionally valid ruling of SCOTUS.