Explain the causes and effects of the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears.

Cause: There was also some argument that the Native Americans may raid nearby plantations, causing many of the farmers to protest their presence. Eventually, president Andrew Jackson, decided to pass the Indian removal acts in 1830, which allowed him to move the Indians west. Since Andrew Jackson had grown up on a plantation where Indian raids were common, he had a negative view of them, saying that "they are inferior to whites". The president had very little problem with sending them away, and in 1838 put the trail of tears into action.

Effect: One major effect is that the Native American population severely decreased. While on the Trail of Tears, many Native Americans endured hypothermia, starvation, and sickness. More than 4,000 natives died due to these conditions, leaving the Native American population hanging by a thread. The other major effect is that since there was only a handful of Indians that survived the horrible journey, the culture quickly became, and still is today, on the verge of extinction.