document analysis

History 1301

June 25, 2015

Journal Entry 4

The United States during the early 1800’s of civilization was crazy place to be. Hezekiah Niles creates a secondary newspaper entry about the main event that was transpiring during the year of 1827 called, “Indians within the United States” Some leaders within the United States of America, such as Andrew Jackson, felt that it was necessary to remove the Native Americans from their home lands and to relocate them west of the Mississippi river. This later became known as the Trial of Tears, and it highlights the cruel and harsh treatment that Americans exhibits.

Around the 1830’s, five main tribes were relocated during the Trail of Tears. These “civilized” tribes were called the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee-Creek, Seminol, and Cherokee Indians. The Americans wanted the land that they were living on because it was great fertile land and also in the Georgia area gold was found. Americans where greedy people during this time period, so they did not hesitate to start the process of getting them out of there. By 1840 over 40,000 Native Americans were relocated from their original homes. Many died along the way, that apart of the reason it is called the Trail of Tears. The tribes’ future and past died of first, which is their young and old members.

The newspaper article speaks on Colonel McKenney, for he was a main activist in removing these Natives from their home lands. Colonel McKenney was born in 1785 and he, “…directed [the] Indian policy within the War Department…”[footnoteRef:1] No type of sympathy lived inside of the colonel for he was the one controlling the entire process of removing the Native Americans. [1: Hezekiah Niles. “Indians within the United States” In For the Record 2013, ed. David Shi and Holly Mayer. (New York: W.W. Norton, 2013), pg. 264 ]

Being that this story was published in a newspaper from Hezekiah Niles, the intended audience is the public. Niles wanted to document and inform the readers of all the actions and decisions that were made during the removing of the Native Americans. It was meant to be never forgotten. This illustrates the hypocriticalness that the Americans possessed inside of them during these times. One of the two major reading materials during the 1800’s was the Bible. The bibles teachings and the way the Americans performed against the Native Americans did not make sense.

In the document presented, a large amount of important interesting things popped out. The Colonel said, “the provision and means for their transportation and support-the taking of them kindly, but firmly, by the hand, and telling them they must go and enjoy it.”[footnoteRef:2] The Americans did not even care how the Indians felt of their new home. It is important to the thesis of the essay because it supports my assertion that America treated to Natives horrible by removing them. Colonel McKenney said, “…the forbidding all interference with their concerns-for which purpose the presence of a few troops would be necessary.”[footnoteRef:3] The colonel basically forced his decision on Natives with no back talk. The last thing that was noticed that was important was a quote implemented inside the document. The quote said, “The proper study of mankind is man”[footnoteRef:4] The quote suggest that the only way to gain more knowledge on the evolution of human is time. The quote corresponds to the document by saying that this removing of the Natives Americans is a part of the study for Americans. [2: Ibid., 265] [3: Ibid., 265] [4: Ibid., 266]

Life in the United States at this time of the removal of the Native Americans was a crazy time. America was a country that wanted more and could not be content with what they already owned. The goal was to conquer and control as much as possible. Also you can tell the nation was not unified. Some leaders loathed the decision of removing the Natives from their homes. Others felt it was in the best interest of the nation to do so. America put an internal hate between the Native Americans and them because of this event. The real question to the author that I did not find in the document is how did Colonel McKenney personally feel about what transpired?

Work Cited

Niles, Hezekiah. “Indians within the United States.” In For the Record: A Documentary History

of America. 5th ed, edited by David E. Shi and Holly A. Mayer, pg 264. New York: W.

W. Norton & Company, 2013