The Indian Removal Act was a law passed by Congress and signed by the former president at the time, Andrew Jackson, on May 28, 1830, which required Native Americans including - -- Cherokee, Chocktaw, Chickasaw and Creek tribes will be removed from the Southern states, their ancestral lands, to accommodate the expansion of the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Indian Removal Act authorizes access to Jackson to expand the United States westward and drive Native Americans to other existing lands in the United States. Approximately 4,000 Native Americans died on their way to new lands, most notably called "The Trail of Tears." President Jackson was later put on trial for his culpability for the mass deaths that occurred when the Indian Removal Act was adopted. When you examine the policies that the United States had towards the Native Americans, it is clear that they were simply full of lies and broken promises. In the trial, Andrew Jackson was on trial for the unconstitutional law that preceded the Trail of Tears and resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans. The prosecution had gone first and each had testified against President Jackson. Each of them testifies to their own story during these dark times and how they were somehow involved in the whole case. Lawyers asked questions of each witness and questioned the defense as their group of witnesses testified about their story and support for Jackson. Jurors watched the entire trial and will have to decide whether Jackson will be found guilty or innocent. The policy adopted by the United States towards the Native Americans had only called for their destruction from the beginning, first seeking to relentlessly take their rights. lands. The policies put in place were “The Northwest Ordinance” and “Cherokee v. Georgia.” The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 stipulated that ''the Indians were to be treated with the ''utmost good faith'' and specified that ''their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent. This unfortunately was not a very sound political decision because the Europeans were still trying to take the lands from the natives. In the 1819 case of Cherokee v. Georgia, the Cherokee filed a lawsuit against Georgia claiming that the Cherokee lands and people constitute an independent government. The Cherokee had won the case, but that victory was ended by the Indian Removal Act. The Natives were notably known as a very peaceful people but would go to war if absolutely necessary. From document E which contains a quote by Chief Joseph from a newspaper called ''Harper's Weekly'', Chief Joseph states ''If the white man will live in peace with the Indian....we can live in peace. There doesn't need to be any problems. Treat all men alike... give all men the same law. Give them all the chance to live and grow. You might also expect that rivers flow backwards as well as that any free-born man should be content when he is locked up and denied the freedom to go where he pleases. We ask only for the possibility of living as other men live. We ask to be recognized as men. Let me be a free man...'' But trying to make peace with the Europeans came at a price. In the trial, when a defense witness named ''George Custer'' testified that he fought with his 210 soldiers in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a war that broke out due to European intrusion, but then lost and died. He stated that he did not admire Jackson for his ideals, but had contact with him. He also testifies.