Setting the Stage for Removal

By 1815, as Americans continued intruding onto tribal lands, the U.S. needed more land for its citizens. The U.S. wanted to end European influence among tribes and began working on policy. There were four options considered: President Jackson and Congress considered four alternatives for dealing with the southern tribes:

• To eliminate native people through warfare
• To integrate them into U.S. civilization
• To enforce existing treaties and protect the tribes and their lands
• To force tribes to abandon their land and move west

The U.S. adopted the last option, as the most politically expedient and palatable.