The early 1800s were a very important time for America. The small country was growing rapidly. With the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, America nearly tripled in size by 1853. However, even with land expansion, not everyone was welcomed with open arms. As the country expanded, white Americans decided they needed the natives to leave. There were several reasons for the removal of Indians from their lands, including racism and the desire for land. Since their arrival, white Americans were not very fond of Native Americans. They were thought to be very uncivilized and had to leave. In his letter to Congress discussing the removal of Indian tribes, President Jackson stated the following: “This will separate the Indians from immediate contact with the white settlements; free them from the power of the States; allow them to pursue happiness in their own way and within the framework of their own crude institutions; this will retard the progress of decadence, which diminishes their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of government and under the influence of good advice, to throw off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized community and Christian. » (Jackson). The settlers had used their land so much for agriculture that it was no longer as good and fertile as new soil. However, being hunters, Indian tribes had plenty of land suitable for harvesting. In 1828, gold was discovered on Cherokee lands in Georgia. This, combined with the desire for more land, prompted settlers to evict the natives. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act. This allowed him to negotiate with the Native Americans for their land. Although middle of paper... "Seventh Annual Message", December 7, 1835. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. Copeland, David A. "The Trail of Tears, 1838." The Antebellum Era: Primary Records of Events from 1820 to 1860. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 195-206. Print.Ellis, Jerry. Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears. NewYork, NY: Delacorte, 1991. Print. Foreman, Grant. Expulsion of the Indians: The Emigration of the Five Civilized Tribes of Indians.Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1953. Print.Jahoda, Gloria. The trail of tears. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975. Print. President Jackson's Message to Congress “On the Removal of the Indians,” December 6, 1830; Records of the United States Senate, 1789-1990; Record Group 46; Records of the United States Senate, 1789-1990; National Archives and Archives Administration.