Manifest Destiny was the religiously affiliated idea that colonists were destined to move westward and expand the country they had just formed. This whole idea greatly affected Native Americans because the white men forced them off their land for several reasons like railroad construction, crops, mining and precious metals, and hundreds of other voluble resources. Andrew Jackson was the guy that was primarily at blame for the violence towards Native Americans. This lead to the trail of tears. The trail of tears happened because of invading Europeans expanding their land and railroad routes, forcing the Cherokees off of their land.