Why did settlers demands for the relocation of the cherokee intensify in the 1820s?
The settlers' demands for the relocation of the Cherokee intensified in the 1820s due to several reasons:
1. Expansionist mentality: The United States was undergoing rapid territorial expansion during this period, and settlers coveted the fertile lands occupied by the Cherokee in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. They saw the Cherokee as an obstacle to their westward expansion and desired their removal to acquire the valuable resources and lands.
2. Economic interests: The discovery of gold in Georgia and the subsequent gold rush in the region drove a significant increase in settlers' demand for Cherokee land. As more settlers poured in, the pressure to remove the Cherokee heightened.
3. Racial prejudice: Settlers subscribed to the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, a belief that the United States was destined to expand its dominion over the entire continent. This belief, combined with racial prejudice, led settlers to view Native Americans as inferior and stood in the way of the country's progress. They believed that the Cherokee and other Native American tribes were hindrances to progress and should be forcibly removed.
4. Political pressure: Many settlers had strong political and economic ties to local and state governments. They used their influence to pressurize political leaders to remove the Cherokee, making it a political issue as well.
5. Federal Indian Removal policy: The federal government, led by President Andrew Jackson, supported the removal of Native American tribes to make way for white settlement. The passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 further emboldened settlers and intensified their demands for Cherokee removal.
Overall, the settlers' demands for the relocation of the Cherokee intensified in the 1820s due to a combination of expansionist motivations, economic interests, racial prejudice, political pressure, and the support of the federal government's Indian Removal policy.