Thomas Jefferson And The Marshall Court Summary

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The document “Thomas Jefferson and the American Indian Nations: Native American Sovereignty and the Marshall Court” is a historical journal article written in 2006. It was published in the thirty first volume of the Journal of Supreme Court History, a popular historical journal focusing on the history and actions of the Supreme Court. It was written by Stephen G. Bragaw, Ph.D., a Visiting Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University. He has published numerous articles and papers, and has extensive experience in American History and Politics. The Journal of Supreme Court History is a historical journal that is very popular among historians, those interested in the history of the Supreme Court, and most likely also modern politicians …show more content…

Tho document specifically focuses on the aforementioned interactions during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, and also addresses his political policy towards the Native Americans, both as Secretary of State under George Washington, and later as president. Jeffersons policies towards the Natives changed drastically throughout his political career. As Secretary of State, he called for Native American sovereignty and independence and was an outspoken supporter of Native American rights. However, as president he layed the foundation of what would later become the large scale Native American immigration in later years, and was a working proponent for Native American removal. The document speaks in depth on international law, especially as it relates to such widespread ideals such as land rights and right of conquest. It seems that Jefferson was in favor of right of conquest, and only put on an air of the inverse during his time as Secretary of State in order to gain favor as the United States’ Ambassador; however, later during his presidency, Jefferson did show his true colors with his plans for Native American displacement, and became one of the main

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