Lesson Plan -- Student
Indian Removal in the 1830s
A Document-Based Question
by Brandy Mohr


Historical Context: Citizens of the United States have been interacting with Native Americans from the colonial period up through the era of Jackson. As the United States expanded beyond the 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 in this time period. When Andrew Jackson became president, he made Indian removal a priority and passed the Indian Removal Act (1830).


Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying documents. The question is designed to test your ability to analyze and interpret historical documents.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 document 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 the pros and cons surrounding Indian removal as well as the various positions that were taken by Americans and Native Americans.



Part A:Short-Answer Questions

The following documents deal with Indian removal in the Jacksonian era. These documents will help provide you with clues about how and why Indian removal developed as it did. Carefully read and examine each of the documents and then answer the question or questions that follow.

Document 1

Map of Georgia, 1830





1. Using the map above, explain why many residents of Georgia were in favor of moving the Cherokee Indians west of the Mississippi.


Document 2
"From the commencement of our government Congress has passed acts to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indians; which treat them as nations, respect their rights, and manifest a firm purpose to afford that protection which treaties stipulate. All these acts, and especially that of 1802, which is still in force, manifestly consider the several Indian nations as distinct political communities, having territorial boundaries, within which their authority is exclusive, and having a right to all the lands within those boundaries, which is not only acknowledged, but guaranteed by the United States. . . . The Cherokee Nation, then, is a distinct community, occupying its own territory, with boundaries accurately described, in which the laws of Georgia can have no force, and which the citizens of Georgia have no right"

John Marshall, Worcester v. Georgia, 1832.


2. What does Marshall say about the laws of Georgia?

3. How does Marshall defend his opinions?


Document 3

 Indian Removal Act of 1830


Chap. CXLVIII.--An Act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That it shall and may be lawful for the President of the United States to cause so much of any territory belonging to the United States, west of the river Mississippi, not included in any state or organized territory, and to which the Indian title has been extinguished, as he may judge necessary, to be divided into a suitable number of districts, for the reception of such tribes or nations of Indians as may choose to exchange the lands where they now reside, and remove there; and to cause each of said districts to be so described by natural or artificial marks, as to be easily distinguished from every other.



4. In your own words, what does this law do?


Document 4

 Memorial Of John Ross and Others before Congress





5. Using the main paragraph, explain why the Cherokee felt that they were being exploited.

6. Is there support for this argument? If so, how much and what kind?


Document 5
"All these States and territories were desirous, and most justly and naturally so, to get possession of these vast bodies of land, generally the best within their limits. Justice to the other States and territories required the relief; and the applications to the federal government, to which the right of purchasing Indian lands, even within the States, exclusively belonged, were incessant and urgent."

~ Thomas Hart Benton
7. Why did Benton believe that Indian removal was a priority?


Document 6
"It will separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites; free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the progress of decay, which is lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of the Government and through the influence of good counsels to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community. These consequences, some of them so certain and the rest so probable, make the complete execution of the plan sanctioned by Congress at their last session an object of much solicitude."

~ Andrew Jackson. 2nd Annual Address to Congress. December 8, 1830


8. Why did Jackson believe that Indian removal was an important policy?


Document 7
"In May 1838, I witnessed the execution of the most brutal order in the History of American Warfare. I saw helpless Cherokees arrested and dragged from their homes...I saw them loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred forty-five wagons and started toward the west...When the bugle sounded and the wagons started rolling many of the children rose to their feet and waved their little hands good-bye to their mountain homes, knowing they were leaving them forever. Many of these helpless people did not have blankets and many of them had been driven from home barefooted...."

- John Burnett, a soldier serving as an interpreter


9. What does Burnett tell us about the treatment of Native Americans?

10. Was this move voluntary?


Part B: Using your own knowledge about Indian removal and the 1830s, combined with the documents that you have read, complete the following task: discuss the crisis that developed around the issue of Indian removal in the 1830s in a well-written essay. Make sure that you evaluate the pros and cons surrounding Indian removal, as well as the various positions that were taken by Americans and Native Americans.




Grading Rubric


The following is a list of answers that are considered good or acceptable for the short answer questions. Complete sentences are not necessary to receive credit; rather, the answer should contain evidence that the student understands the question and can use the document to provide an answer.

Document 1: A good answer to this question would discuss the amount of land that was owned by the Cherokees. The following is a good example: Georgia residents may have wanted the Indians to move west because they owned so much land in Georgia.

Document 2: Marshall said that the laws of Georgia do not apply to Cherokee territory or that Georgia has no legal right to make laws that extend to the Cherokees. Students may directly quote from the passage.
As evidence Marshall uses the existence of legal treaties and legislation. A student may also state that only Congress can make treaties with the Indians or that the Cherokee Nation constitutes its own land/territory that is not a part of the U.S. and is not subject to the rules of individual states.

Document 3: Students should not quote directly from the passage because they have been asked to paraphrase their response. A good example may be that the Act sets aside land west of the Mississippi for Indians who agree to leave their homes in the east. A student may also say that this law attempts to move Indians west of the Mississippi River.

Document 4: The Cherokee feel that their rights are being violated because they have old treaties that guarantee the land that they are now being forced off. Another example might be that their old treaties are being ignored or disregarded.
There is support for this argument evidenced by the petition with thousands of signatures. Students may also note that there is support that is coming from other Indians.

Document 5: Benton believes that Indian removal was a priority because of the desire for land.

Document 6: Jackson believed that the policy of Indian removal was important because it would benefit whites and Indians alike. Removal separates Americans and Indians and allows the Indians to pursue their own way of life. A good answer will state that Indian removal is beneficial to the race/culture of Americans and Indians and may use quotes from the excerpt as support.

Document 7: Burnett tells us that the Indians were treated harshly, like animals. Students may also state that the Indians were not given adequate clothing or allowed to prepare for their trip.
Students should state that this is not a voluntary trip if people are being dragged from their homes and forced to march.

Essay: A good essay will be well thought out and organized. It should show that the student was able to think about the topic in a coherent manner and not just reiterate what they learned from the documents. Students should use at least four of the seven documents; better essays will be able to incorporate more of the documents. It is also important that the student uses outside information in the essay.

In discussing the crisis, students should indicate that there was a controversy and debate surrounding the idea of Indian removal. As such, students must demonstrate that there were people in favor of removal and those who were opposed to removal. Students should be able to use the documents and outside information to explain why people in the 1830s were either against or in favor of removal. Their discussion should not only consider the different positions of individuals and groups, but their potential biases as well. It is important that students discuss both the pro and con aspects of removal, so that they demonstrate a more complete understanding of the conflict that occurred in the 1830s. Students can argue that one side of the debate held more merit than the other or that one side was ultimately correct as long as they demonstrate that they understand both sides of the argument.

Outside Information that students might incorporate:


Rationale for Document Choices


Document 1: Map of Georgia, 1830
http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/histcountymaps/cherokeenation1830map.htm

The very first document that I chose was the map of Georgia in the 1830s. I thought that it was important for two reasons: first, it demonstrates how close Indians were to the citizens, and that Indians were indeed an important presence; second, the map illustrates just how much territory the Cherokees had, making land claims more understandable. I feel that students today do not appreciate the role the Indians played in early America; rather they see Indians as a western phenomenon that looks good in movies. It is also important that they see how much land is being discussed: Georgia residents wanted more than a few more feet to add on to the state.

Document 2: Worcester v. Georgia, 1832
http://www.civics-online.org/library/formatted/texts/worcester.html

The second document that I selected was an excerpt from John Marshall, which I thought clearly captured the controversy in Georgia. The State did not have the right to make laws that extended to the territory of the Indians. I hoped that students would be able to grasp this idea and use it to explain a piece of the controversy. Marshall also discusses briefly the existence of other treaties, which could help prompt students to bring in outside information about such treaties.

Document 3: Indian Removal Act of 1830
http://www.civics-online.org/library/formatted/texts/indian_act.html

The Indian Removal Act was the third document in the list. Because this is a DBQ about Indian removal, I thought that it was important to include this key piece of legislation. I chose just one segment so that students could get a feel for the law and the way that it was set up as "an exchange."

Document 4: Memorial of John Ross and Others before Congress, 1834
http://www.1st-hand-history.org/Congress/cd71/03.jpg

The next document that I incorporated was a section of speech given before Congress. This particular speech is useful because it goes back to the existence of earlier treaties and also shows, via the petition mentioned, that there was an immense amount of Indian opposition to removal. I also thought that this was a good document to use because the more savvy students will be able to use it as evidence that the Cherokee Nation is not uncivilized; rather they are signing petitions and testifying before Congress.

Document 5: Thomas Hart Benton on Indian Removal
http://history.smsu.edu/FTMiller/LocalHistory/Docs/Benton/30Years/BentonIndianRemoval.htm

Document 6: Andrew Jackson, Address to Congress, 1830
http://mail.rcds.rye.ny.us/~history/Sampson/Jackson%20debate/jackson_indian_removal.htm

The piece from Benton goes back to the question of land and gives students definitive evidence that one of the reasons for Indian removal was so that the people of Georgia could take their land. In order to compliment the piece by Benton, I added this clip from Jackson's second address to Congress in which he talks about Indian removal as a humanitarian process. I would hope that from class discussions students would know that Jackson was merely paying lip service to this issue; however, if students are not aware of this, they can still use it as one of the reasons that some people wanted Indians removed.

Document 7: John Burnett on the Trail of Tears
http://happytrails_2.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/white_man%5B1%5D.htm

My final document is from a soldier who accompanied the Cherokee on the forced march west. I thought that it was a critical piece to the puzzle of Indian removal, so that students realize that there was not a peaceful resolution to this debate. This document lends itself to students wishing to bring in information on the Trail of Tears and other Indian removal debacles such as the Seminole Wars in Florida.

In choosing these documents, I wanted students to get a feel for some of the debate that circulated around the issue of Indian removal. Too often we simply hear about the Trail of Tears and American atrocities without actually looking at the specifics of the situation. This DBQ is designed to challenge students and ask them to use the documents and provide specific information about the crisis. The students main argument may well be that Indian removal was a big mistake; it may also be, however, that as America expanded beyond the original colonies and grew into a larger nation, Native Americans were forced to move west. This DBQ is designed to allow students to think for themselves and use the documents to draw their own conclusions.