Final answer:
The statement that acquisition of land was the most important motivating factor in early U.S. Indian policy is true. Early U.S. expansion and the Indian Removal Act highlight how central land acquisition was to these policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the early formulation of U.S. Indian policy, specifically whether acquisition of land was the most important motivating factor. The statement that acquisition of land was the primary motivator for earlier U.S. Indian policy is TRUE. During the early years of the United States, expansionist tendencies coupled with the European concept of Manifest Destiny led to a series of policies and treaties designed to acquire lands from the Indigenous peoples.
Policies like the Indian Removal Act of 1830 were implemented to systematically relocate Native American tribes, usually to areas west of the Mississippi River, thereby opening up vast tracts of land for white settlers. The premise of such policies was predicated on the notion that European Americans had the divine right and superior claim to the lands in North America. This policy not only facilitated westward expansion but also played a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the U.S. during the 19th century.