"A Desire to Possess"
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. It ended the century long treaty relation that had defined Anglo-American, Cherokee relations. The debates that preceded the removal legislation set off fierce debates.Public opinion in the United States varied greatly. Some believed that the Indian peoples had a perfect right to the lands they occupied. Others believed that Indians were simply tenants who could be removed at the will of the land owners (usually understood as the various states). In the end, the decision to enforce removal implanted what a writer in 1829 called "an indelible stigma" on the character of the United States.
"The promises of Washington and Jefferson have not been fulfilled. The policy of the United States on Indian affairs has taken a different direction, for no other reason that the Cherokees have so far become civilized as to appreciate a regular form of Government...Cupidity and self-interest are at the bottom of all these difficulties - A desire to possess the Indian land is paramount to a desire to see him established on the soil as a civilized man." Cherokee Phoenix,
this page online
"Cupidity and self-interest are at the bottom of all these difficulties..."
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Trail of Tears series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 12, 1803.
Location. 35° 24.423′ N, 85° 0.383′ W. Marker is near Birchwood, Tennessee, in Meigs County. Marker can be reached from Blythe Ferry Road, 2 miles north of Hiwassee Highway (Tennessee Highway 60), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located at the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Birchwood TN 37308, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "Orders No. 25" (here, next to this marker); "To Learn and not Forget" (here, next to this marker); "Your Fate is Decided" (here, next to this marker); "Chains of Friendship" (here, next to this marker); "Given by the Great Spirit above" (here, next to this marker); "Not a treaty at all" (here, next to this marker); "Forced from this country" (here, next to this marker); "They drove us out of our house" (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Birchwood.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2011, by Lee Hattabaugh of Capshaw, Alabama. This page has been viewed 653 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 6, 2011, by Lee Hattabaugh of Capshaw, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
