Question

thomas hobbes
key words:
absolute government state of nature state of war
the trail of tears
by robert lindneux
limited government is the philosophy that government does not have absolute authority. hobbes did not believe that there should be many limits on government, but he did not think that a sovereign could do anything that would injure his or her subjects.
questions to answer:
● what image is the artist trying to portray in this picture?
● whose rights are being violated and why?
● who is responsible for the \trail of tears\?
● what is the relationship between the \trail of tears\ and the idea of limited government?

Explanation:

1. The artist is portraying the forced relocation of Native - Americans, showing hardship, suffering, and mass movement with wagons, horses, and people looking weary.
2. The rights of Native - Americans were violated. They were forced from their ancestral lands due to government policies like the Indian Removal Act, which ignored their sovereignty and property rights.
3. The U.S. government, specifically under President Andrew Jackson who signed the Indian Removal Act, is responsible for the "Trail of Tears".
4. The "Trail of Tears" represents a violation of the idea of limited government. A limited government should protect the rights of all its people, but in this case, the government over - stepped its bounds, using its power to displace and harm Native - American tribes.

Answer:

• What image is the artist trying to portray in this picture? The artist portrays the forced and arduous relocation of Native - Americans.
• Whose rights are being violated and why? Native - American rights are violated as they are forced off their lands by government policy.
• Who is responsible for the "trail of tears"? The U.S. government, particularly under President Andrew Jackson.
• What is the relationship between the "trail of tears" and the idea of limited government? The "Trail of Tears" shows a failure of limited government as the government overstepped its bounds to harm Native - Americans.