INDIAN REMOVAL IN THE 1830s:
A Document-Based
Question
by Brandy Mohr
History 530A, Fall 2002
[Printer-Friendly Version]
Historical Context: Citizens of the United States have
interacted with
Native Americans from the colonial period through the era of Jackson and
beyond. As the United States expanded beyond its original thirteen
colonies, Americans increased their contact with Native Americans. In
order to regulate interactions and maintain uniformity, legal and official
dealings with Native Americans were restricted to Federal treaties. From
1816-1840, tribes located between the Mississippi River and the original
thirteen colonies were encouraged and impelled to move west; more than
forty (40) treaties were signed during this time period. When Andrew
Jackson became president, he made Indian removal a priority and passed the
Indian Removal Act (1830).
Directions: The following questions are based on the
accompanying
documents. The questions are designed to test your ability to analyze and
interpret historical documents. Some of the documents have been edited or
abbreviated so that they are more manageable; please answer the questions
based on the section of the document that you have in front of you. As
you look at these documents, take into consideration the authors' points
of
view and any outside knowledge you have of the situation.
1. Carefully read the essay question. What do you already know about
this topic? How would answer this question without any documents? You
may want to jot down a few notes or ideas on your paper.
2. Now look at the documents that you are provided with and read them
over carefully. You may want to underline key ideas or make notes in the
margins.
3. Answer the questions that accompany the documents. Remember that
these questions are based solely on the documents and not on outside
knowledge you may have.
4. Once you have analyzed the documents, go back and look over the
document-based question again. How might these documents fit into your
existing ideas about this topic?
5. Based on your knowledge of the topic and the documents provided,
formulate a thesis or argument that directly addresses the question.
6. Organize your thoughts or ideas into an outline or chart that will
help you as you are writing your essay.
7. Write a well-organized essay that provides support for your
argument. Your essay should draw on at least five (5) of the documents.
You should also include outside knowledge that you have about the topic.
Task: Using the documents provided, discuss the crisis that
developed
around the issue of Indian removal in the 1830s, making sure to evaluate
pros and cons surrounding Indian removal as well as the various positions
that were taken by Americans and Native Americans.
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