Legislation1830
Indian Removal Act Signed
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the forced relocation of Native American nations from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to territory west of the Mississippi River. The act led to the Trail of Tears and the deaths of thousands.
Why It Matters
The Indian Removal Act represents one of the most consequential failures of American democracy, demonstrating how majoritarian government can produce profound injustice when constitutional protections for minorities are not upheld.