Rights and Responsibilities
In the U.S. Constitution, America stated that all men are created equal. What our constitution failed to mention, was that by "all men" they honestly meant white citizens, completely disregarding the rights of the Native Americans who still resided in North America. By taking the land of "lesser people", the American government ignored its responsibility of protecting those who abide by their laws and kicked them out of their homes. This inhumane behavior forced the Native American people on a "death march" from their inherited land to the Oregon territory, along a trail that would soon be known as "the Trail of Tears". An estimate of 3500 people died if not from hunger and cold, then from disease. The forced relocation of the people showed the government's disregard for Non-American life. The passing of the Indian Removal Act not only removed Native Americans from their homes, but it also stole their rights as human beings in the government's eyes.