Andrew Jackson and the Impact of Western Expansion on Minority Rights
Andrew Jackson is regarded as one of the presidents who had the most influence on American politics throughout the country's existence. He established the Democratic Party, which is now the most prestigious political organization in America and a symbol of freedom. (Taylor 316).
The Impact on Cherokee, Mexican, and Chinese Populations
During his time in office, he expanded his executive authority and changed the President's role from top administrator to the beloved Tribune. His brand of politics encouraged certain measures that restricted minorities' rights in America. One of the groups impacted by Western expansion, Manifest Destiny, and Andrew Jackson's policies was the Cherokee, Mexican, and Chinese populations. Westward expansion was a move aimed at expanding the size of United States by doubling domain of the country. By 1840, approximately 7 million Americans had migrated o secure land in hopes of being prosperous (Howard).
Controversies over Westward Expansion and the Role of Andrew Jackson
Slaves moved towards the Western territories leading to various controversies. The former US President Andrew Jackson believed that the future of the country depended on its Westward expansion. People had varied opinions on the relevance of Westward Expansion. Notably, Andrew Jackson supported Westward Expansion and wanted the relocation of Cherokee, Mexican and Chinese populations. According to him, they were to be removed and resettled in the lands west of Mississippi in exchange for their lands which existed within the state borders. The president of the period, Andrew Jackson, wanted the Cherokee, Mexican and Chinese populations in the United States to provide room for expansion by getting them away from where they initially settled (Glenn and Evelyn 65). Notably, he argued that land within the United States belonged to Europeans and Americans. Therefore, he removed Native Americans from their land and gave it to the White Americans. Most people argued that Andrew Jackson’s action was driven by greed and did not care about the welfare of Native Americans in the US.
The Removal of the Cherokee Population
Additionally, Andrew Jackson sent away the Cherokee population from their fertile ancestral lands to provide room for cotton growing. He used his powers as the president to give the Cherokee’s land to other people to grow cotton (Bender 50). It was against human rights to send the Cherokees away from their fertile lands. According to most scholars, Andrew Jackson’s decision to send away the Cherokee was inappropriate and considered it discriminative.
Manifest Destiny and its Impact on Native Americans
In the 19th century, most people from the US believed that the expansion throughout the American continent was justified. According to them, the expansion was necessary as it could open up the entire America. This attitude, referred to as Manifest Destiny, was prevalent and it helped in fueling western settlement. Also, it resulted in war with Mexico and removal of Native Americans, for instance, the Cherokee, Mexican and Chinese populations. Manifest Destiny presented an idea that the future of the US relied majorly on the expansion of its territory. Arguably, the idea contributed to continuous wars witnessed during the period. The emergence of the wars was as a result of the resistance of the Native Americans who saw the move as discriminative (Boyer et al. 60). Native Americans were the ones who extremely felt the negative impacts of Manifest Destiny. They were forcefully evicted from their lands as the then president of the United States, Andrew Jackson supported the idea. Notably, in1846, the US declared war on Mexico and employed various kinds of machinery to win the battle. The war resulted in what is currently the Southwestern United States. It is imperative to note that the war with the Mexico was one of the numerous acts that can be attributed to Manifest Destiny. The primary intention of the idea was to explore and possess new lands and establish new borders. Arguably, Manifest Destiny resulted in moral, cultural and social differences between people and states.
Obstacles in Fighting for Rights
There were various obstacles in the efforts by the Cherokee, Mexican and Chinese populations to fight for their rights (Haas 147). Few government agencies listened to their plights. They denied fair hearing in courts; hence they could not get justice from any quarter. They found it difficult to present their frustrations to the authorities as the president of that time supported the Western Expansions that rendered most of them landless. Arguably, discrimination of the Native Americans made it impossible for justice to prevail. As a societal challenge, some of the Cherokee, Mexican and Chinese populations could not adequately speak English, making it difficult for them to present their plights to the relevant authorities effectively (We Shall Remain).
The Negative Impact of Andrew Jackson's Politics
The politics of Andrew Jackson impacted negatively on the Cherokee, Mexican and Chinese populations. They lost their fertile lands and their rights infringed by the authorities. They were resettled in unproductive areas making it difficult for them to continue practicing farming. Western Expansion opened up the US but had adverse consequences on the Native Americans. It is appropriate for the government to treat its citizens equally without discrimination as it may result in differences among people.
Works Cited
Bender, Thomas. "The American Way of Empire." World Policy Journal. 23 Jan. 2006: 45-61.
Boyer, Paul S., et al. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People. Cengage Learning, 2016: 56-67.
Glenn, Evelyn Nakano. "Settler Colonialism as Structure: A Framework for Comparative Studies of US Race and Gender Formation." Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 1 Jan. 2015: 52-72.
Haas, Lisbeth. "Conflicts and Cultures in the West." A Companion to American Women's History 13 Dec. 2007: 132-149.
We Shall Remain. (2014, May 16). Podcast retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8o0heHXQF8
Howard Z. (n.d).Chapter 7: As long as grass grows or water runs. History is a weapon. A people’s history of the United States by Howard Zinn (7). Retrieved from: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinnasl7.html
Taylor Jr, Quintard. "People of Color in the West: A Half Century of Scholarship." Western Historical Quarterly 42.3 1 August 2011: 313-318.
Miller, Matthew J., et al. "College Students’ Social Justice Interest and Commitment: A Social-Cognitive Perspective." Journal of Counseling Psychology 56.4 Oct. 2009: 495.
