Name: ________________________________
Indian Removal Act
Argumentative Essay Project
When the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, it instantly became one of the most controversial
government actions in American history. Government officials, including President Andrew Jackson, said that the
Indian Removal Act was the only way to give Native American tribes a chance to survive as a people. Opponents of
the act disagreed, saying that forced removal would be a terrible injustice. Which side was right?
Throughout this project, your task will be to investigate the Indian Removal Act, to explore primary and secondary
sources concerning Native American removal, and to develop an argumentative essay that will answer this prompt:
Why did the U.S. Government pass the Indian Removal Act? Were they trying to protect the
Native Americans, or were they just trying to get them out of the way?
This project will consist of four main steps (or five, if you choose to complete the extra credit assignment):
Step 1: Research – Step 2: Outline – Step 3: Writing – Step 4: Editing – Step 5: Extra Credit
You will use this packet to complete Step 1 and Step 2. The information and ideas that you put together during these
steps will then help you jump immediately into Step 3 and Step 4, during which you will write and edit your
argumentative essay.
This packet includes the Step 1: Research Graphic Organizer and the Step 2: Outline Graphic Organizer. Paper
copies of the documents will be available to you if you need them, but this project is designed to be completed using
the project website:
IndianRemovalActProject.weebly.com
Project Schedule – Fall 2012
Step 1: Research – Oct 22-25
Step 2: Outline – Oct 26-28
Step 3: Writing – Oct 29-Nov 2 (ROUGH DRAFT DUE FRIDAY, NOV 2)
Step 4: Editing – Nov 5-13
Step 5: Extra Credit – Nov 3-13 (FINAL DRAFT AND EXTRA CREDIT DUE TUESDAY, NOV 13)
Step 1: Research – graphic Organizer
Directions: Read through the documents found at IndianRemovalActProject.weebly.com and complete the
guiding questions in the graphic organizer.
Step 1: Research
Background Information
1. What were the two different attitudes that most white American settlers had toward Native Americans?
(Paragraph 1)
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2. What did President Jackson think was the best way to deal with the Native American tribes that lived in the
East? (Paragraph 3)
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3. What was the result of the Indian Removal Act for the Native American tribes of the East?
(Paragraph 5)
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4. Write down at least one thing from the video, the map, the Trail of Tears painting, or the additional links that
you think is interesting or important.
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Step 1: Research
Document 1 - Andrew Jackson's State of the Union Address
1. According to President Jackson, what goal was America trying to accomplish by sending Native Americans
to a different territory? (Paragraphs 3 and 4)
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2. Why did President Jackson believe the government's Indian removal policy was "generous"?
(Paragraphs 3 and 4)
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3. According to the information in THIS DOCUMENT ONLY, why did the U.S. Government pass the Indian
Removal Act?
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4. Find at least one quote from the document that supports your answer to Question 3.
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Step 1: Research
Document 2 – Memorial of the Cherokee Nation
1. Why were the Cherokee people “troubled” by the state of Georgia? (Paragraph 3)
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2. Why did the Cherokee refuse to leave their land? (Paragraphs 5 and 6)
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3. According to the information in THIS DOCUMENT ONLY, why did the U.S. Government pass the Indian
Removal Act?
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4. Find at least one quote from the document that supports your answer to Question 3.
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Step 1: Research
Document 3 – Report of the Secretary of War, Lewis Cass
1. According to Lewis Cass, what happened to Native Americans who lived near white settlers? (Paragraph 2)
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2. What do you think Lewis Cass meant when he said, “If they remain, their fate is written in the history of their
race”? (Paragraph 4)
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3. According to the information in THIS DOCUMENT ONLY, why did the U.S. Government pass the Indian
Removal Act?
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4. Find at least one quote from the document that supports your answer to Question 3.
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Step 1: Research
Document 4 – Senator Sprague’s Speech to Congress
1. According to Senator Sprague, in what ways were the Cherokee people “civilized”? (Paragraphs 2 and 3)
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2. How does the information in this speech compare to the thoughts of Lewis Cass in Document 3?
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3. According to the information in THIS DOCUMENT ONLY, why did the U.S. Government pass the Indian
Removal Act?
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4. Find at least one quote from the document that supports your answer to Question 3.
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Step 1: Research
Document 5 – Textbook Excerpt – The American Journey
1. According to the textbook, why did white settlers and miners want Cherokee land? (Paragraph 1)
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2. What happened on the Trail of Tears? (Paragraphs 4-7)
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3. What do the events surrounding the Trail of Tears suggest about the U.S. Government’s attitude towards the
Native Americans?
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4. According to the information in THIS DOCUMENT ONLY, why did the U.S. Government pass the Indian
Removal Act?
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5. Find at least one quote from the document that supports your answer to Question 4.
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Step 2: Outline – graphic Organizer
The Classical Argument Format
Your task in this project is to write an argumentative essay. A classical argument is the basic form of persuasive
argument typically used in argumentative essays. It has five parts: introduction, narration, confirmation,
refutation, and conclusion. The parts of a classical argument are arranged logically. That is, one section
logically follows from the one before it. It is styled in this way for ease of transition in thought, especially for
the main purpose of effectively persuading the reader or audience.
The size of an argumentative essay can range from a handful of paragraphs to an entire book. For this essay,
you will need to write at least five paragraphs – one for each section.
Introduction
The writer has at least three tasks in the introductory part of the classical argument. These are: to hook the
audience’s attention, to establish a connection with the audience, and to state the claim (thesis) of the argument.
Narration
This is where the writer has to provide a summary of the background information relevant to the argument. This
section helps the reader or audience understand the important circumstances surrounding the topic and claim.
Confirmation
This is where the writer provides evidence to support the claim (for this essay, evidence takes the form of
quotes from the documents). The stronger the link between the supporting evidence and the claim, the stronger
the argument of the writer will be. This section can be any length – from one paragraph to ten pages –
depending on how much evidence the writer wants to introduce to support the claim.
Refutation
This is where the opposing claims are presented or acknowledged (with quotes from the documents), and then
addressed and refuted (disproved) by the writer. When refuting an opposing claim, it is best to use another piece
of evidence (like a quote) to show why the writer’s claim is correct and the opposing claim is not.
Conclusion
This is the final part of the classical argument where the writer summarizes the main points and shows the
reader why the claim is important. In some cases, the writer ends with an appeal to the emotion of the reader or
audience.
CONFIRMATION
NARRATION
INTRODUCTION
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE
The Hook: Start
with an interesting
sentence that will
“hook” the reader.
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Connection: Write a
sentence or two that
will help the reader
connect with you.
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Claim (Thesis): This
is the main argument
you are making in
your paper.
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Topic Sentence:
Introduce the main
idea of this
paragraph.
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Background Info:
Summarize the
relevant information
the reader needs to
know to understand
the context of your
claim.
Topic Sentence:
Introduce the main
idea of this
paragraph.
Argument: Explain
one reason your
claim is correct.
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Evidence Quote:
Use a quote from the
documents that
supports your claim.
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Analysis: Write an
explanation of how
this quote supports
your claim.
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ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY OUTLINE (Continued)
CONCLUSION
REFUTATION
Topic Sentence /
Opposing Claim:
Introduce the
opposing claim.
Others may argue that ___________________________________
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Opposing Quote:
Use a quote that
supports the
opposing claim.
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Refutation: Write an
explanation of why
the opposing claim is
incorrect.
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Refutation Quote:
Use a quote that
supports your side of
the argument.
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Analysis: Write an
explanation of how
this quote supports
your claim.
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Topic Sentence:
Introduce the main
idea of this
paragraph.
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Confirmation:
Summarize the main
points of the
confirmation section.
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Refutation:
Summarize the main
points of the
refutation section.
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The Closer:
End with a powerful
statement that wraps
up your argument.
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However,
In conclusion,