In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the “
Trail of Tears
,” because of its devastating effects.
What was the forced march of the Cherokees from Georgia?
| Trail of Tears | Part of Indian removal | The Trail of Tears memorial at the New Echota Historic Site in Georgia, which honors the Cherokees who died on the Trail of Tears | Location Southeastern United States and Indian Territory | Attack type Forced displacement |
|---|
What did the Cherokee call the forced march to the West?
During the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, the Cherokees were forcibly moved west by the United States government. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this forced march, which became known as the “
Trail of Tears
.”
Who forced the Cherokees on the Trail of Tears?
By 1838, only about 2,000 Cherokees had left their Georgia homeland for Indian Territory. President Martin Van Buren sent
General Winfield Scott
and 7,000 soldiers to expedite the removal process. Scott and his troops forced the Cherokee into stockades at bayonet point while his men looted their homes and belongings.
What was the forced removal of the Cherokee?
The removal, or forced emigration, of Cherokee Indians occurred in 1838, when
the U.S. military and various state militias forced some 15,000 Cherokees from their homes in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee and moved them west to Indian Territory
(now present-day Oklahoma).
What legal rights did the Cherokee have?
The Cherokee constitution provided for a two-house legislature, called the General Council, a principal chief, and eight district courts. It also
declared all Cherokee lands to be tribal property
, which only the General Council could give up.
How has the United States tried to improve its relationship with the Cherokee?
How has the United States tried to improve its relationship with the Cherokee?
The United States government has passed laws allowing Cherokee tribes to govern themselves
. It also provides special programs and services to “federally recognized” tribes.
What was one result of American Indian removal for the Cherokee?
What was one result of American Indian removal for the Cherokee?
The Cherokee struggled to support themselves in Indian Territory
. NOT were not interested in following a nomadic way of life. Why did Georgia auction Cherokee land to settlers beginning in 1828?
Where were the Native American tribes forced to march during the Trail of Tears?
The Trail of Tears was when the United States government forced Native Americans to move from their homelands in the Southern United States to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Peoples from the Cherokee, Muscogee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole tribes were marched at
gunpoint
across hundreds of miles to reservations.
How many died on Trail of Tears?
At Least 3,000 Native Americans
Died on the Trail of Tears. Check out seven facts about this infamous chapter in American history. Cherokee Indians are forced from their homelands during the 1830's.
Who was the most famous Cherokee Indian?
- Sequoyah (1767–1843), leader and inventor of the Cherokee writing system that took the tribe from an illiterate group to one of the best educated peoples in the country during the early-to-mid 1800s.
- Will Rogers (1879–1935), famed journalist and entertainer.
- Joseph J.
What did the Cherokee believe in?
They believed
the world should have balance, harmony, cooperation, and respect within the community
and between people and the rest of nature. Cherokee myths and legends taught the lessons and practices necessary to maintain natural balance, harmony, and health.
How did the Supreme Court interpret the Indian Removal Act?
How did the Supreme Court interpret the Indian Removal Act?
Tribes could choose to remain on their lands. Tribes had no right to any land in the new territories
. Tribes had to abide by the decisions of the United States.
Why did the Cherokees not move?
The removal of the Cherokees was
a product of the demand for arable land during the rampant growth of cotton agriculture in the Southeast
, the discovery of gold on Cherokee land, and the racial prejudice that many white southerners harbored toward American Indians.
Who was responsible for the forced removal of the Cherokees Why?
In 1838 and 1839, as part of
Andrew Jackson's
Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the “Trail of Tears,” because of its devastating effects.
How did Cherokees resist removal?
The Cherokee generally attempted to resist removal by
the United States through negotiations and legal proceedings
. In 1825, the Cherokee established a capital in Georgia, created a written constitution, and declared themselves a sovereign nation.
