Imagine you are sitting at home and suddenly there is a knock on your door. It is the US Military and they tell you that you have 10 minutes to pack only what you can carry because you will be moving to Oklahoma and never returning. If you refuse they have a right to put you in jail or shoot you. What would you do, how would you feel, what would you think?

Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears

It Starts As settlers moved west, they began to move onto Native American land Settlers wanted the Native Americans to leave the land Often times the Native Americans left on their own and often times they had to be forced to leave

The Act The Indian Removal Act gave the US government the right to make Native Americans to move off their land to the West to Oklahoma

Problems in Georgia Gold is discovered in Georgia Settlers want to move into the territory to get the gold and land but Natives (Cherokee) are already there Cherokee refuse to leave and take their problems to US Supreme Court

Decision Time! US Supreme Court says that the US government can NOT force the Natives to leave their land President Andrew Jackson ignores the US Supreme Court and has US Federal Troops round up the Cherokee in Georgia and move them to Oklahoma

Trail of Tears More than Cherokee are forced to walk 800 miles to Oklahoma The journey took months – Had to walk in rain and snow – Federal Troops often had guns/bayonets pointed at them Estimated 4000 died on the way so now known as the Trail of Tears