Running Head: REMOVAL ACT OF 1832

Removal Act of 1832

<Name>
<University>

Professor: <>
Date: <>

Removal Act of 1832

Removal Act of 1832
When looking back at the History of Removal in the United States, there were so
many Indian families, bands and parts of the tribes that were removed and escaped into both
the mountains and the countryside. The people that ran away never went back to their Indian
territories. In todays tribes, the descendants of those who opted to stay behind are not given
any recognition. The only thing that remains within their families are the oral records of their
native ancestry. The tribes have no official documents to support their claims to the portions
and families that stayed behind after others going to the Indian Territory in the 1830s.
When Thomas Jefferson came into power as the president of The United States, he
advocated for the rights of Indians. He considered them to be intellectuals, just like the
whites. He believed that Indian reform could only occur if the Indians were securely near the
missionaries and also in their own land. He went against the white settlers who considered the
Indian people to be dangerous and only wanted them out of their lands. The main reason for
this was because the Americans considered land as their basic identity hence saw the Indians
as taking it away if they settled in their lands (Kidwell C, 2005 p.21- 37).
So many members of the white families had died through kidnapping and murder and
so many homes had been burnt through disputes. There was so much livestock theft with
many of the livestock being slaughtered. This prompted the president to commission for
removal of the native tribes to clear out the lands and remove disputes. The aboriginal people
could continue using the land that they had occupied as this was a right for them. The US
government had the exclusive option to purchase the land from the native people. But before
buying the land, it was a tradition and a rule that the government must obtain the peoples
consent. The land obtained from Indians was used for agriculture, paying soldiers who had

Removal Act of 1832

put their lives on the line to fight, building of mill sites, harbours and waterways (Kidwell C,
2005 p.21- 37).
When the government started removing the native tribes and sending them back to
their territories, it faced a lot of challenges. The number of people that belonged to the tribes
that were being exterminated was so large to an extent that the army took over the process of
removing natives to clear the land between the years 1832-1838. So many natives escaped
from the army and went back to stay in their lands, with a good number vanishing into the
mountains. Many families ended up blending into the local communities by intermarrying
and remained hidden and unregistered until today.
The War Department took over the process of removal. The disasters that were
experienced previously in the Choctaw made the War Cass Secretary to come up with
procedure guidelines that were more clear which would place any removals done in the future
under the pure control of the military. The new regulations were completed and put in place
in the spring of 1832. In the removal process, Indians that were removed would move either
by wagon or by foot. The wagons used would carry the babies as well as carry the baggage of
the Indians. For those who moved by water, an agent who represented them could hire a boat
that was steam-powered for their transportation.
The methods applied by the government reduced the number of people who died in
the process of removal. Many of the enslave Africans were freed by the American
Colonization society and returned to their homes. The freed Africans in turn formed the
nation of Liberia. The troops and ships that went to Africa were given naval escorts,
commissioned by President Monroe himself (Depp Theory slides)
Private contractors who had the approval of the commissioner made supplies to the
people who were moving. The contractors were instructed to leave supplies at intervals along

Removal Act of 1832

the way. After getting the supplies, agents were given instructions to distribute 1lb of pork,
and the same amount of beef per person plus corn, flour and salt. The lowered ranked officers
were ordered to accompany the people and make payments for any emergency supplies that
could be made along the way. They then were expected to keep records of all transactions and
a journal for travel which would later be sent to the Department of War.
The removal if Indians saw their farms, houses, farm equipment and other property
left behind and then sold through auctioning. Upon reaching the Indian territories, the Indians
would have proceeds sent to them. If the protocol would have been changed, people would
not go through all the suffering that experienced during the Chickasaw era.
At the time that Johnny Depp decided to come forward with his ancestry, his
grandmothers tribe, both Creek and Cherokee disowned him and denied of having any ties
with him. The main reason for this was because of the modern enrolment records of tribes.
The ancestors of Johnny Depp and other families who escaped from the watch of the US
Army did not base anywhere in the roll of the registered people. Only the Creek, Cherokee
and Chickasaw who made it through the removal, the Dawes act and the trail of tears made it
to the enrolment rolls at the base in the year 1934 for their own tribes based in Oklahoma.
The tribe of Comanche accepted Johnny Depp and adopted him since the Creek and
Cherokee laid no claim to him owing to the enrolment records of tribes. The lack of
recognition on Johnny Depp as a Cherokee or Creek contributed to his lack of success. Had
he been recognized as a member of any of the two native tribes, he would have been the most
successful indigenous actor on earth. He was only a Comanche by adoption, but not raised as
a culturally native like Adam Beach who holds the title of the most recognized actor on the
earth (Depp Theory slides).

Removal Act of 1832

References
Depp Theory slides M Oct 19.
Kidwell C. S & Alan Velie Land & Identity pp. 21- 37
Removal Act of 1832