The American Revolution - Discussion Question Only Essay

The American Revolution - Discussion Question Only - Essay Example In 1838, President Andrew Jackson sent federal troops to enforce the treaty and evict the Indians from their native lands. The resulting march to the west became known as the Trail of Tears. Approximately 17,000 Native Americans were put on a forced march westward. The conditions were severe and it is estimated that over 5,000 tribal members died as a direct result of the march. Most of the deaths occurred due to disease, famine, and the hardships encountered by exposure to the elements on the lengthy forced march. The US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 all failed to deal directly with the issue of slavery. By 1820 there were 11 free states that believed in a strong union government. There were also 11 slave holding states that believed in states rights and one of those rights was the right to maintain slavery. The Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri and Maine to be admitted to the Union and thus maintained the balance of free and slave states. This instituted the two-by-two method of admitting states and resulted in the pairings of Arkansas and Michigan, Florida and Texas, and Iowa and Wisconsin. For the next 30 years, the government worked to allow admission on a two-by-two basis and maintain this balance.