Andrew Jackson, the Indian Removal Act, and the Trail of Tears 1820-1842

Native Americans in the Southeast In the 1820’s, many Native Americans still lived East of the Mississippi River Cherokee Chicksaw Choctaw Creek Seminole

The Cherokee Nation Lived in Mountains of NC and Georgia Created their own written language Published their own newspaper Wrote their own Constitution based on the U.S. Constitution

Sequoya created a written language for the Cherokee

The Removal of the Cherokee 1828 gold is discovered on Cherokee land White settlers wanted the land U.S. Government discusses removing the Cherokee

Andrew Jackson 1829 Andrew Jackson is elected President Jackson supports removing all Native Americans Georgia passes laws that allow whites to take Native American lands Jackson supports these laws too

Andrew Jackson

Indian Removal Act Jackson asks Congress to pass a law that removes the Native Americans After debate and discussion, Congress passes the Indian Removal Act in 1830 This law forces all Native Americans to move West of the Mississippi River

Indian Removal Act

Trail of Tears Many Cherokee refused to leave their homes U.S. Army forces 16,000 Cherokee into outdoor prisons in 1838 During fall and winter of 1838-1839, Cherokee are forced to walk West to Indian Reservations This walk was close to 800 miles 4000 Cherokees died from freezing, starvation, sickness

The Cherokee were herded into outdoor prisons like this.

The Trail of Tears was nearly 800 miles long

The Cherokee had to walk in horrible conditions.

4,000 Cherokee died on the Trail of Tears

Most froze to death or died of sickness

1 out of every 4 died on the Trail of Tears 1 out of every 4 died on the Trail of Tears. Mostly the elderly and the young.

How could this happen? Greed (gold is discovered) Andrew Jackson and U.S. government want to expand the U.S. Racism:? Would white settlers have been treated like this in the same situation?

Some Cherokee Resisted Some fought U.S. soldiers Some hid in Smokey Mountains in NC Led by Tsali Tsali surrendered in return for the safety of his people Ancestors of Tsali and Cherokee who remained still live in NC mountains

Tsali sacrificed himself so his people could live in their homeland

Cherokee Indian Reservation in NC