Why did southern whites want Indian land?

Southern whites sought Indian land primarily for agricultural expansion, particularly for cash crops like cotton and tobacco, which required vast tracts of fertile land. The growing population and economic interests of white settlers intensified their desire for land, leading to the forced removal of Native Americans through policies like the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Additionally, the belief in Manifest Destiny fueled the notion that white Americans were entitled to occupy and cultivate the land, further justifying their actions against Indigenous peoples.