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Indian Removal

Chapter 10 Section 4p. 355

Section Focus

Why did Jackson use force to remove Indians from the Southeast?

Native Americans of the Southeast● When Jackson became President, more than 100,000 Native

Americans still lived East of the Mississippi River

Tribes States They Occupy

Choctaw MS, AL, GA, NC, TN

Chickasaw MS, AL, GA, NC, TN

Cherokee MS, AL, GA, NC, TN

Creek MS, AL, GA, NC, TN, FL

Seminoles FL

Native Americans of the Southeast● The Cherokees had adopted many things from the whites

throughout the years such as:

● Farming techniques● Running successful businesses

○ Grain and Lumber Mills● Speaking/Reading English● Religion (Conversion to

Christianity)

Native Americans of the Southeast● The Cherokee had written an alphabet for their language

● This was created by Sequoyah

● In 1827, they established a government based on a written Constitution

● They then claimed the status of a separate nation

● What kind of misconceptions do we have of early Native Americans’ lifestyles?

● What were some of the customs and ways of life of the Cherokees?

● What was the “status” of the Cherokees in 1827?

Conflict Over Land● Native Americans in the Southeast stood in the way of

Westward expansion of the U.S.

● Native Americans lived on fertile land

● White farmers wanted that land for growing their crops

Conflict Over Land● This movement of the Native Americans wasn’t a new concept

● Thomas Jefferson hoped the movement would be voluntary

● He believed that moving West was the only way that Native Americans could preserve their cultures

● After the War of 1812, the government signed treaties with many Native American groups to give up their land and move West of the Mississippi River

Conflict Over Land● Native Americans of the Southeast refused to move

● By the 1820s, many white southerners were demanding that Native Americans be removed by force

● Georgia passed a law forcing the Creeks to give up their land

● This obviously did not sit well with some groups of people

Conflict Over Land● Georgia’s actions were challenged in the Supreme Court

● The Supreme Court voted in favor of the Cherokees citing treaties that guaranteed territories to Native Americans

● This infuriated President Jackson, so he began to write up a federal law known as the Indian Removal Act of 1830

● Why did Jackson want the Native American groups to move?

● In what ways do you think that Jackson’s defiance of the Supreme Court’s decision was typical of his history and character?

● Why did Jackson enforce the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

● Which group had the most to gain with the Indian Removal Act?

On the Trail of Tears● Believing they had no choice,

most Native American leaders signed treaties giving up their land

● They agreed to move to the Indian Territory (current day Oklahoma)

On the Trail of Tears● The Choctaws were the first to sign the treaty

● This was known as the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek

● Closely guarded by American soldiers, they moved west between 1831 and 1833

● Sadly, the American government didn’t hold up their side very well. There was not enough tents, food, blankets, shoes, winter clothes or other supplies and the Indians suffered greatly

On the Trail of Tears● Despite holding out until Jackson was out of office,

the Cherokees were forced to move in 1838 by President Martin Van Buren

● Again, the Indians suffered greatly on their journey and many did not survive (approximately 4000 deaths) because of the carelessness of the American government

● One American soldier described it this way: “The trail of the exiles was a trail of death.”

On the Trail of Tears● The Seminoles refused to move

● They fought 3 wars against the removal of their people

● However, in 1840, most of Seminole nation was also forced to move to the Indian Territory

● What step was taken before the actual removal of Native Americans?

● What mistakes in planning did the government make before removing Native Americans?

Homework● You can choose which tribe you belong to:

○ Choctaw○ Cherokee○ Seminole

● You will be writing a 1 page story about your life before, during, and after the Indian Removal Act of 1830

● Be very creative and descriptive throughout the story