Consider the following statement: “In preparing for the Cherokee removal, state and federal officials were motivated solely by desire to seize the natives’ land.” In your post, consider the following:
- Does this statement present the full picture? Revise this statement to present a more complex explanation of the motivations that drove state and federal officials (and the white citizens of Georgia) during the years immediately preceding the Cherokee removal. Explain the choices you made in your revision.
- Next, consider how you can take a similar approach to your own topic in order to more fully understand the historical complexity. What other viewpoints would you want to further explore in order to more fully understand your topic?
In response to your peers, share any preconceived notions you may have about their topic. Lastly, consider how further exploration of the viewpoints around their topic would potentially change the lens through which they currently view the event. ( two separate paragraph for each post)
# post 1:
My revised statement would be something like this:
“In the lead-up to the Cherokee removal, state and federal officials, alongside white citizens of Georgia, were driven by a combination of motives beyond solely seizing native land. These motivations encompassed economic interests, racial prejudices, and political agendas, all of which played significant roles in shaping the policies and actions leading to the displacement of the Cherokee people.”
The revision broadens the understanding of the motivations behind the Cherokee removal, which includes economic interests, racial prejudices, political goals, and the context of westward expansion as factors influencing state and federal officials, as well as white citizens of Georgia. The economic interests as a motivation because the desire for land often intersects with economic opportunities, such as access to valuable resources or opportunities for agricultural expansion; the racial prejudices acknowledge the role of racism and xenophobia in shaping attitudes towards Native Americans during this period. These prejudices influenced policies and actions aimed at marginalizing and displacing indigenous peoples; political motivations, such as gaining support from white settlers or advancing political careers, were also considered. Political agendas often intersected with economic interests and racial prejudices in driving policies related to westward expansion and Native American removal.
My subject is on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and I guess I can say I’m focusing primarily on political aspect (the VRA’s impact on black elected officials). Other viewpoints I think I could work with would be social and economical — the VRA was an enabler for a large group of people who didn’t have the same privileges as other groups, which by default made a social impact. Also, the expansion of voting rights could’ve made a financial impact from implementing more voting machines to new facilities, or even campaign advertisements.
# post 2:
The statement “In preparing for the Cherokee removal, state and federal officials were motivated solely by desire to seize the natives’ land” could be revised to show the complexity of the event. State and federal officials were motivated by the desire for fertile land for cotton farming and the discovery of gold in Georgia, as well as their beliefs that the Indians were inferior and savages. The Cherokee faced political pressure from federal and state officials to sign treaties and give up their sacred lands. This led to the signing of the Treaty of New Echota, which led to the Cherokee being removed from their sacred homeland with military force and unjust treatment. These explanations better explain the complexities of the Cherokee removal and give a more complete picture.
In applying this approach to my topic, the Women’s suffrage movement and the Nineteenth Amendment, I would mention the lasting influence made by the movement in terms of education, children, and healthcare. I would want to explore more the strides made in those areas and how politics changed through the years due to women becoming more influential.