What Shall We Do With These Native
Americans?
“There, (Oklahoma) your white brothers will not trouble you, they will have no claims to the land, and you
can live upon it, you and all your children, as long as the grass grows or the water runs, in peace and
plenty.” – Andrew Jackson
INTRODUCTION:
The year is 1830 and you are an editor of the Atlanta Gazette. Your Editor-­‐in-­‐chief assigned you to give an opinion piece on a bill that is before Congress entitled Indian Removal. This is the end result of years of conflict among Native Americans east of the Mississippi River, white settlers and state and federal governments. You have five days to do background research and write your opinion piece. TASK:
1. Complete web quest graphic organizer while completing process
2. Write a two-­‐page opinion piece for your newspaper with your opinion on the proposed law. Discuss the problem, evidence and causes. Discuss the option of passing this law with benefits and problems to this law. This of alternatives to this law that might be better to all parties involved. Graphic Organizer: (Click here to open)
You will use a four step process called the American History
Public Policy Analyst (AHPPA). This is very similar to Science
class. You will:
1.
Identify the Problem – What is the problem/issue?
2.
Gather the Evidence – How do we know about this?
3.
Determine the Causes – Why is this problem
happening?
4.
Evaluate the Policy – What did the government do?
Did the results outweigh the costs? Were there
alternatives?
Step 1 -­‐ Identify the Problem Explore the situation of America in 1830. What were some conflicts with Native Americans in the early 1800s? How were Native Americans treated by white settlers and governments? Why did white settlers want the Cherokee Indians to be removed from their lands?
•
Overview of issues with at hand
•
A brief history of the Cherokee and Trail of Tears
Step 2 -­‐ Gather the evidence of the Problem
Now that you have identified the problem, what was the validity (truth) of it? Did it seem like the Native Americans and white settlers could come up with a solution without the help of the federal government? What did the state of Georgia say about this? What did President Jackson say about this? Give three reasons why the federal government had to make a law about this problem.
• Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) • Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
• Andrew Jackson calls for the Indian Removal Step 3 -­‐ Determine the Causes
Go through and try to determine why you think this conflict was not going to end. Some lawmakers thought that if the Cherokee nation adapted to white culture they did not need to be removed. Is this a good alternative to removal? Did the Cherokee try to achieve this? • Opinion piece by Cherokee about becoming civilized
• Cherokee Develop a written language
• Cherokee Constitution
Step 4-­‐ Evaluate the Policy
President Andrew Jackson and Congress decided to pass the Indian Removal Act in 1830 to deal with the Native American issue. What were the effects of this decision in terms of costs and benefits? The costs would include both economic and social issues and the benefits would be related to the achievement of the objective. Consider how these two relate. Here are some scenarios:
- Benefits obtained at reasonable cost. (Did the USA get what they want within a reasonable cost to life?)
- Benefits obtained at too high of a cost. (Did the USA get what they want at too high a cost to life?)
Benefits not obtained (Did the USA not get what they wanted?)
Benefits not obtained and costs were still too high (Did the USA not get what they want AND the cost of life was too high?) Also you need to brainstorm alternatives to the law. What law could Congress have passed differently? Come up with at least two alternatives to this law.
• Picture of Cherokee on the Trail of Tears
• A soldier recalls the Trail of Tears
•
Andrew Jackson’s defense of the Removal Law Evaluation Below is a rubric that I will use to grade your completed graphic organizer and opinion writing piece. Consult it first to determine the various criteria:
4
3
2
1
Total
Time on Task
Was totally focused Was mostly Was distracted and on task focused and on easily, had a hard throughout project task during project time finishing during class time.
Organizer was Organizer was Organizer missing points.
Complete
completely filled mostly filled out.
d Graphic out with lots of Organizer
Was not on task at all, had to be refocused by teacher constantly
was Organizer was some unclear, not fully filled out.
details
Paper fully Paper mostly Paper somewhat Paper does not Paper-­‐
answers task given answers task given answers task given
answers task, Opinion
is unfocused
Paper is fully Paper is somewhat Paper is hard to Paper is not Paper-­‐ organized and organized but can follow and does not organized with Organizat flows easily. still be easily stay on topic. no paragraphs. Opinion is clearly followed
Opinion is vague. No opinion ion
stated.
present.
There is not There are a few There are numerous There are Paper – spelling or mistakes, but does mistakes and it many mistakes Spelling & grammar mistakes not take away from makes it hard to and paper is the paper
follow
impossible to Grammar
follow Total_____/20
_____/4
_____/4
____/4
____/4
____/4
Conclusion This web quest was designed to determine the conditions and motives for passing the Indian Removal Act and to have students stop and think if there could have been other means to end this conflict between Native Americans and white settlers/government. This will relate to the later unit while discussing the impact of the settlement of the West and how the American government dealt with Native tribes out West.