Manifest destiny is a philosophy that presented the mind set that expansion across the west was Americans divine right which contributed to a superiority complex that caused the forced migration of Indian tribes, the acquisition of land from other countries and the general concept of Americas self-entitlement. Native Americans are a group that have felt the force of manifest destiny. Andrew Jacksons drive support the expansion of the U.S. resulted in him taking steps as president to encourage and force Indian tribes to migrate farther west to make room for white settlers expanding west. The Indian Removal Act signed by President Jackson on May 28th, 1830 “gave the president power to negotiate removal treaties with Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi” (Indian Removal), which lead to corrupt deals with Native tribes which occurred through threats, bribes, violence and other underhanded tactics. Andrew Jackson viewed Native Americans a paternal way as though they were little children in need of a father figure to tell them what to do which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Native tribes were assimilating and doing everything in their power to attempt to become apart of American society and yet it wasn’t …show more content…
His Political career was one that was based on a decentralized government and wanted to stop the corruption and elitism in government. Once elected as president Jackson made sure to push his agenda of expansion westward and the migration of Native tribes farther west to make room for white settlers. Native tribes such as the Cherokee did not stand idle as they watched their rights and land being stripped from them, they worked within the rules of the American government and got cases to the supreme court in attempts to save themselves from Jacksons Indian Removal Act and the oppression from states. Despite the eventual success of Native tribes being recognized as entities independent from the states and therefore not affected by state law but federal law, Jacksons refusal to enforce the supreme court’s ruling and his mindset influenced by manifest destiny led to the forced removal of Native tribes and the longstanding oppression they have endured