Conflicts Over Land Section Two

A) Moving Native Americans

Five Civilized Tribes As the U.S. continued to spread west, many Native American tribes tried to live among the Americans in the South as the Five Civilized Tribes. The Americans wanted Native American land and for the government to relocate the tribes.  This was strongly supported by Jackson.

Indian Removal Act In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act to force these tribes to move to the newly created Indian Territory in Oklahoma.

Worcester vs. Georgia The Cherokee Nation refused to leave and sued the state of Georgia. They said that they had a treaty with the U.S. Government.

Chief Justice John Marshall In Worcester vs. Georgia, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Marshall, said that Georgia could NOT take their land and that only the U.S. had that authority.

“John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it…” Jackson’s Refusal Jackson ignored the ruling and sided with Georgia. “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it…”

Gen. Winfield Scott In 1838, over 7,000 U.S. soldiers led by Gen. Winfield Scott forced the Cherokee Nation to abandon their land and move on a forced march out west. This was known as the Trail of Tears.

Trail of Tears

B) Native American Resistance

Native American Conflicts

Black Hawk In 1832, the Black Hawk War started when a Sauk Chief named Black Hawk led his people back to Illinois.

Black Hawk War The Illinois militia along with U.S. troops, chased Black Hawk’s warriors to the Mississippi River and killed most of the Native Americans.

Indian Territory In 1835, the Seminole Wars in Florida resumed with a second war led by Osceola. By the 1840s, over 100 million acres of Native American land had been taken by American settlers. The U.S. government gave the tribes 32 million acres out west. All of the tribes that were relocated were forced to live together in the Indian Territory with other tribes from all over the country.