Creeks Indian Removal
The Creeks Indian tribe, also known as the Muscogee tribe, was a vastly large tribe whose 23,000,000 acre land spanned over many states. They kept pride in their culture and were one of the many tribes whose traditions were shredded by a devastating act known as the Trail of Tears.
In 1765, the American Revolution began and the Creeks needed resources. They knew the Americans were not going to help them so they sided with the British. This not only strengthened the Americans hatred but made the removal seem more sensible to citizens. Also, in 1814, the Battle of Horseshoe Bend was fought by the Creeks, though they lost.
President Andrew Jackson ordered his army to move all Native American tribes to a reservation in Oklahoma. Despite the simplicity, this process wasn’t easy. Hundreds of tribes were moved with no food or water while many of them were expected to carry heavy packs on their backs, no matter their age. They were expected to rest on the bare ground and were not allowed into white cities. The death toll was in the thousands. Today, this would be considered unconstitutional and torture, but the conditions didn’t matter to the army, only the destination.
Before the trail, there were around 23,000 Creeks. Nineteen thousand Creeks were transported to Oklahoma via the Trail of Tears and 3,500 of them passed away due to disease or the extreme conditions of their travels. This put a large dent in the Creeks population and an even bigger dent in their land ownership. In an attempt to mend the relationship between the Indians and Americans, many wars were fought by the Indians, and the Americans noticed. Over time, many laws and rights were added for the Native Americans and to this day, the Creeks population has grown to roughly 80,600.
In conclusion, the Creeks were heavily affected almost to the point of complete removal of their tribe. Their culture was torn into shreds but they pressed on and made an effort to keep their culture alive, even through the worst of times with Andrew Jackson and his soldiers.
In 1765, the American Revolution began and the Creeks needed resources. They knew the Americans were not going to help them so they sided with the British. This not only strengthened the Americans hatred but made the removal seem more sensible to citizens. Also, in 1814, the Battle of Horseshoe Bend was fought by the Creeks, though they lost.
President Andrew Jackson ordered his army to move all Native American tribes to a reservation in Oklahoma. Despite the simplicity, this process wasn’t easy. Hundreds of tribes were moved with no food or water while many of them were expected to carry heavy packs on their backs, no matter their age. They were expected to rest on the bare ground and were not allowed into white cities. The death toll was in the thousands. Today, this would be considered unconstitutional and torture, but the conditions didn’t matter to the army, only the destination.
Before the trail, there were around 23,000 Creeks. Nineteen thousand Creeks were transported to Oklahoma via the Trail of Tears and 3,500 of them passed away due to disease or the extreme conditions of their travels. This put a large dent in the Creeks population and an even bigger dent in their land ownership. In an attempt to mend the relationship between the Indians and Americans, many wars were fought by the Indians, and the Americans noticed. Over time, many laws and rights were added for the Native Americans and to this day, the Creeks population has grown to roughly 80,600.
In conclusion, the Creeks were heavily affected almost to the point of complete removal of their tribe. Their culture was torn into shreds but they pressed on and made an effort to keep their culture alive, even through the worst of times with Andrew Jackson and his soldiers.
Works Cited
Haveman, Christopher. “Creek Indian Removal.” Encyclopedia of Alabama, 13 January 2017.
Wikipedia. “Trail of Tears” Wikipedia. Accessed 07 November 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears#Creek_dissolution
So. Regional Office. “The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.” Accessed 07 November 2019 https://www.mcn-nsn.gov/culturehistory
Wikipedia. “Trail of Tears” Wikipedia. Accessed 07 November 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears#Creek_dissolution
So. Regional Office. “The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.” Accessed 07 November 2019 https://www.mcn-nsn.gov/culturehistory