Chapter One Trouble In Washington The April sun shone through the Senate windows in Washington D C Statesmen in starched suits argued heatedly among themselves They are an inferior race and can be moved from the state of Georgia After all President Jackson supports the movement wholeheartedly shouted Mr Lumpkin Besides he continued We need this land for development For progress He ended his speech with a dramatic flourish waving his arms in the air as if to emphasize the idea of progress Disgruntled rumbles erupted from the room Senator Sprague from Maine took to 6
the podium It was his turn to speak Good sirs Senator Sprague began I ask you to humbly consider not signing this bill Removing Indians from their homelands does no honor to our great nation We must act in good faith Honor our brethren Let them live peacefully on their native land Progress and development are no substitutes for honor Above all else we must act honorably Honor Who cares about honor What about the skirmishes The raids a man yelled from the back of the room Without missing a beat Senator Sprague addressed the point Good sir the time of raids and skirmishes are past It is time for both nations to live in peace and prosperity Mr Lumpkin jumped to his feet Our treaties have been violated Move the Indians west States have the right to control the 7
Indians Give the states sovereignty Mr Lumpkin pumped his fist in the air Senator Sprague interrupted I still have the podium Mr Lumpkin Hear me out Progress states rights and money should not dictate our government’s policies about basic goodness and human rights With that angry statesmen on both sides of the issue shouted at one another Amid all the chaos Senator Sprague jumped on top of the podium His face was blotchy and red Gentlemen gentlemen he yelled Take your seats Take your seats Shocked by Senator Sprague’s position on top of the podium the statesmen gradually calmed down They smoothed their wigs and brushed off their coats When all was settled Senator Sprague finished his argument 8
The United States must uphold her treaty agreements Period To do otherwise would go against all we fought for in the Revolution It is right and just to protect Indian Territory from settlement and from development by white settlers We must honor the ideals on which our nation was built Senator Sprague returned to his seat He looked upset and he knew he had a long battle ahead of him By May much to Senator Sprague’s dismay the House of Representatives voted and passed the Indian Removal Act Then the Senate followed President Jackson signed the act into law With one stroke of his pen the President changed the destiny of Native Americans 9
