What was one of the motivations behind the Indian Removal Act?

The motivation behind the Indian Removal Act was primarily to provide land for white settlers. The Act, enacted in 1830, aimed to facilitate westward expansion by forcibly relocating Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to territories west of the Mississippi River. This was driven by the growing demand for land by European-American settlers, particularly in the context of the agricultural economy. The perceived need for more fertile land for crops such as cotton was a significant factor influencing the government’s decision to remove Native Americans from their lands, leading to significant suffering and loss for the indigenous populations involved. The policy reflects the broader attitudes of the time that prioritized settler interests over the rights and sovereignty of Native American nations.