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Andrew Jackson Medal
Unlike John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson liked his peace medal portrait. He ordered three of the small size for himself, paying $3.00 apiece for them.
The Jackson years were marred by the Indian Removal Act, which Congress passed in 1830. Convinced that American Indians could never be "civilized" and live alongside whites, Jackson forced the removal of tribes to areas west of the Mississippi.
Medals were used to establish authority figures within tribes that were willing to cooperate in removal to the West. American officials often ignored important but uncooperative chiefs and headmen and deliberately gave medals to those of lesser importance who would assist with relocation efforts. |