On Indian Removal

The term refers to a culminating completion or finalization. Jackson uses the term to assert that the past “nearly thirty years” of Indigenous American displacement is fortuitous (1): Such actions have paved the way for what Jackson presents as the crowning achievement of the Indian Removal Act, which he argues will permanently end conflicts between white settlers and Indigenous Americans while preserving American identity and sovereignty. 

Something that is “incalculable” cannot be measured; “incalculably” is the adverbial form. Jackson argues that the forced relocation of tribes will “incalculably strength the southwestern frontier” (2), effectively arguing that opening these areas to white settlement will make the region impermeable to invasion. He does not acknowledge any other factors that might lead to the US’s continued success or might have contributed to victories in prior conflicts, as doing so would undermine his claims about the necessity of relocation.

This term can refer to both literal ancestors and to figurative precursors. Jackson uses this term in an appeal to pathos when he states that “[t]o better their condition in an unknown land [US citizens’] forefathers left all that was dear in earthly objects” (4). He juxtaposes the situation of these forefathers—embracing the unknown to seek a better and more fulfilling existence—with the position of Indigenous Americans in order to emphasize the potential positive outcome of forced relocation for the tribes. Jackson presents migration (willing or unwilling) as a test of internal fortitude and implies that the rewards will be bountiful.

This term means relating to money or finances. By stating that “The pecuniary advantages which [relocation] promises to the Government are the least of its recommendations” (2), Jackson downplays the monetary benefits of removing Indigenous Americans from their lands. This casts the US government as a disinterested party to the arrangement—even as the tribes’ potential benefactor.

Something that is progressive changes gradually or in phases. Jackson uses this term to draw a line between the US government’s previous stance towards Indigenous Americans and his more explicit policy of relocation. By describing his policy as “progressive,” he implies this is a natural step in the growth of the nation, harkening to The Expansion of American Culture.

This is a racial slur that refers to Indigenous Americans. Jackson uses this term to stress the physical (as well as perceived mental) differences between white and Indigenous peoples. Coupled with the term “savage,” it invokes a stereotype of Indigenous Americans as wild, violent, and unable to comprehend the ways of the civilized world.

In a republic, power is wielded by elected officials rather than a single, unelected individual (such as a monarch). Jackson juxtaposes a description of the United States as an “extensive Republic” with an image of a vast wilderness without industry, prosperity, or potential—the state of things, he suggests, as long as the land remains in the hands of Indigenous Americans. The use of the term also emphasizes the power of the individual white man in the United States, shoring up Jackson’s populist image.