Andrew Jackson, USA United States of America, congress, Annual Message to Congress, federal nation, native americans, Removal Act, declaration of independence, colonization, British colonies, racism, Whig Party, conservatives
« Americans are not perfect people but they are called to a perfect mission », such is one of the key visions of the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837, a period in which America had to face many struggles to achieve a real and one federal nation. To that purpose, the question of a territorial expansion became crucial as the white population increased so dramatically within the last decades that a political strategy had to be taken into consideration to deal with the 60,000 American Indian people hardly coexisting on the American territory. In his election speech, Andrew Jackson ensured that he would make everything possible to push the Indians out of the East parts of the country and so is born the Removal Act signed on May 28th, 1830, unveiling a new part of America's history.
[...] Later in the document, the mention of an effective « barrier » informs us about the desire of a physical « separation » and the protection needs and defence of the American people whose only aim is to « prosper ». We'll also consider a difference of visions between these two co-existing cultures. To finish, we may also mention here the significant expression « ardent spirits » probably referring both to the experience and hot temper of the Indians, playing the role of an oxymoron. [...]
[...] We should mention here the tense political climate and particularly the assassination Andrew Jackson escaped just arriving for this very annual message to the Congress. The President had always considered it as an attempt from his opponents of the liberal Whig Party who has been created purposely to stand against the President. We have to add that the construction of the American nation, at that time, goes through a tough opposition between the free states in the North and the slave ones in the South. [...]
[...] Centuries of confrontations with the Indian tribes led the Americans to consider the solution of retrieving them to some « settled portions », mostly lying west of the Mississippi River. Introduced as a program, the content of the Seventh Annual Message addressed to the Congress in 1835 looks like a real action plan. Hold as a key historical document, we may question its content and message wondering to what extend does it unveil a tricky and decisive period of the foundation of the United States? First, we will go through a no return point into the relationship between Indians and white Americans. [...]
[...] This will lead to a certain idea of the white and American supremacy over other people. We will recall here that the young American nation recently purchased some states to foreign countries or got them by force. As a result, the birth of the United States of America comes with a tightening of the American political strategy. To go further, this official document offers the vision of a so-called inscrutable man but more specifically of pragmatic people aiming at ensuring first their geographical expansion in virtue of its Manifest Destiny. [...]
[...] As a very strong and singular personality, Andrew Jackson, nicknamed « Old Hickory » as a reference to his toughness, is a former military man, who gained power and recognition from his brutal performances and campaigns, especially during the Creek War against the Red Sticks. As a consequence, he defends here the entering of America into action and even proclaims the right for « by law destroy(ing) ardent spirit . without waiting the doubtful result and slow process of legal seizure » which comes to legitimate personal initiatives over state official authorizations. [...]
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