1. Section 4 – pg 229 Indian Removal
Chapter 6
Section 4 – pg 229
Indian Removal

2. Native Americans of the Southeast
Pg 229
Native Americans of the Southeast
When Andrew Jackson became President, more than 100,000 NAs still lived southeast of the Mississippi River
Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Creek nations lived in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and southern Tennessee
Seminoles lived in Florida
Combination of Creeks and escaped African American slaves

3. Pg 229 The Cherokees had adopted some white customs
Ran successful businesses
Had own schools
Some could speak and read English
Many converted to Christianity
Had a written alphabet for their
language
Created by Sequoyah
In 1827 established a gov’t based on a written constitution
Claimed statues
Started a newspaper in both
English and Cherokee

4. Pg 231
Conflict Over Land
To gov’t leaders the presence of NAs in the Southeast stood in the way to westward expansion
Many farmers wanted the fertile land the NAs lived on for growing cotton

5. Forced Movement Plans to move the NAs dated back to Jefferson
Pg 231
Forced Movement
Plans to move the NAs dated back to Jefferson
He hoped they would move voluntarily
After the War of 1812, the fed gov’t signed treaties w/ several NAs in the NW
They gave up their lands and moved west of the Mississippi River

6. The NAs of the SE refused to move
Pg 231
The NAs of the SE refused to move
In 1825, President Monroe suggested a plan to move all NAs living east of the Mississippi River to west of the River
Nothing ever happened from this
By the 1820s, many white southerners demanded they be removed by force
In 1825 and 1827, the state Georgia passed a law forcing the Creeks to give up their land
Tried to do the same thing to the Cherokees in 1828

7. Support for Native Americans
Pg 231
Support for Native Americans
Georgia’s actions were challenged in 2 Supreme Court cases
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia: refused to stop Georgia from enforcing the law
Worcester v. Georgia: Georgia’s laws have no power in Cherokee territory b/c the US had signed treaties saying we would guarantee land to the Cherokees
This upset Jackson b/c he wanted to remove the NAs from their lands
Indian Removal Act of 1830 gave him the authority to offer land west of the Mississippi in exchange for their lands

8. On the Trail of Tears Most NAs believed they had no choice Pg 232
Signed treaties giving up their lands
Moved to area called Indian Territory
Today’s Oklahoma

9. Removal of the Choctaws
Pg 232
Removal of the Choctaws
The Choctaws were the first to sign in 1830
Closely guarded by American soldiers, they moved west from 1831 – 1833
Federal gov’t did not provide enough tents, food, blankets, shoes, winter clothes, or other supplies
Some Choctaws walked for 24 hours barefoot in the snow before reaching shelter

10. Pg
Cherokee Removal
The Cherokees held out until 1837 (when Jackson left office)
In 1838, President Martin Van Buren forced them to move
In the winter of , they moved to Oklahoma guarded by 7,000 soldiers
Route is called Trail of Tears
Of the 15,000 that started the journey, 4,000 died

11. The Seminoles refused to move and fought 3 wars against removal
Pg 233
The Seminoles refused to move and fought 3 wars against removal
Forced to move in 1840s