Paired Texts > Excerpts from Thomas Jefferson’s Writings on American Indians

by Thomas Jefferson

1781-1813

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9th Grade Historical Document 1550L
The Declaration of Independence
  • Thomas Jefferson
  • 1776

In “The Declaration of Independence,” representatives from the 13 American colonies declare their independence from Great Britain.

Pair “Excerpts from Thomas Jefferson’s Writings on American Indians” with “The Declaration of Independence” and ask students to compare the language of equality in the declaration with the attitudes Jefferson has towards American Indians in the excerpts. Do you think Jefferson counted Native Americans when he wrote that “all men are created equal”?
8th Grade Primary Source Document 1000L
Excerpt from Trail of Tears Diary
  • Jobe Alexander & Mary Hill
  • 1938

The Trail of Tears is the name given to the forced relocation of Native American nations following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The removal included many members of tribes who did not wish to assimilate. Many Native Americans suffered from disease and exposure, and somewhere between 2,000-6,000 Cherokee died on the trail. The Trail of Tears Diary includes interviews that reveals the extraordinary resilience of the Native American nations during the trail.

Pair “Excerpt from Trail of Tears Diary” with “Excerpts from Thomas Jefferson’s Writings on American Indians” to help students better understand the impact of Indian removal policies that were ultimately implemented.

9th Grade Speech 1390L
Andrew Jackson's Speech to Congress on 'Indian Removal'
  • President Andrew Jackson
  • 1830

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was the seventh president of the United States. In this speech he discusses the “Indian Removal Act,” which relocated native tribes to what is now Oklahoma—but not without great loss of life by those forcibly removed, on what is now known as “The Trail of Tears.”

Pair “Excerpts from Thomas Jefferson’s Writings on American Indians” with “Andrew Jackson’s Speech to Congress on ‘Indian Removal’” and ask students to discuss the similarities between Jefferson and Jackson’s views and plans for the future of American Indian societies.
12th Grade Informational Text 1360L
Manifest Destiny
  • Mike Kubic
  • 2016

In "Manifest Destiny," Mike Kubic discusses how in the 19th and early 20th centuries American settlers believed it was their destiny to conquer new regions of the continent—whatever the cost.

Pair “Excerpts From Thomas Jefferson’s Writings on American Indians” with “Manifest Destiny” and ask students to identify Jefferson’s feelings toward Native Americans. What qualities did Jefferson admire about the Native Americans, and what course of action did he believe to be best when reconciling the conflict between settlers’ desire to explore new territories and Native claims to their lands?