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The "Farewell Letter to the American People" was a widely published letter by the Choctaw Chief George W. Harkins in February of 1832.〔George W. Harkins, "Farewell Letter to the American People," 1832. The American Indian, December 1926. Reprinted in Great Documents in American Indian History, edited by Wayne Moquin with Charles Van Doren. New York: DaCapo Press. 1995; 151.〕 The letter denounced the removal of the Choctaw Nation to Oklahoma. This letter also marked the beginning of a large process that would remove Native Americans living East of Mississippi, known as the Trail of Tears.George W. Harkins wrote this letter to explain what it feels like to leave () ancestral homes to satisfy the desires of others. The letter is still considered one of the most important documents in Native American history.〔 〕 ==Background== Arthur H. DeRosier claims that it is difficult to understand why the Choctaws were removed from their settled land is difficult to understand, because the history does not "reveal any major provocation by these Indians, or moral justification by the United States. The Choctaws were one of the largest tribes in the Mississippian area, and they were one of the first to be removed by the US treaty. The Choctaw tribe had created an economic system where they were prosperous with their own materials, and they were not dependent on the United States government for their wealth and their ability to survive. Their ability to sustain themselves without the assistance of the United States government only added to the confusion surrounding the necessity of the movement. Despite the economic success of the Choctaw Nation, the White American settlers had an insatiable desire to have more land in the West.. This desire mixed with the fear of an Indian attack threatened the comfort of white settlers so much that it left Native Americans across the region targets for removal. This desire extended across the majority of White settlers, which can be noted by the hundreds of settlers who applauded President Jackson for his definitive solution to the Indian Problem.. For President Calhoun, removing the Choctaw nation first would benefit his overall moderate removal policy. The successful removal of a strong nation like the Choctaw would force other Indian groups to Consider their own removal to the West.. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Farewell Letter to the American People」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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