Indian removal was framed as a national policy of progress-driven philanthropy

Evidence

In 1828, Andrew Jackson surged to the presidency on a wave of populist enthusiasm. In his inaugural address, he expressed his understanding that Native nations were subject to U.S. authority and referred to “Indian tribes within our limits,” instead of using the language of sovereign nationhood. Jackson’s second State of the Union address, in December 1830, advocated for the expulsion of Native people from their homes, towns, houses of worship, and seats of government. He urged Congress to effect Native “removal” through legislation. This would be a national policy of expulsion with limited financial support, affecting not only the Cherokees and other Southeastern nations but also nations in the Midwest. Arguing that American progress was to be commended, not lamented, Jackson insisted: “Philanthropy could not wish to see this continent restored to the condition in which it was found by our forefathers. What good man would prefer a country covered with forests and ranged by a few thousand savages to our extensive Republic?” — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 492

Categorization

• XREF: Shows the same rhetorical pattern as proslavery arguments — framing expulsion as generous philanthropy to less-advanced peoples.