It also marked the beginning of a large process that would remove Native Americans who were living east of Mississippi, the Trail of Tears.
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.
[2] Despite the economic success of the Choctaw Nation, the White American settlers had an insatiable desire to have more land in the West.
[2]: 31 This desire mixed with the fear of an Indian attack left Native Americans across the region targets for removal.
Between the time that the treaty was ratified and placed into action, Harkins worked with the Choctaw population to register them as citizens of the United States so that they could stay on their land.
Many people were ill by the time they reached Indian Territory, and many other Native Americans who would be forced into the removal process would die.
Writing letters like this also allowed an accurate depiction of the native experience to be publicized and accepted by the white population in the United States.