Cherokee Indian Removal

Questions:1. What was the Dahlonega Gold Rush?2. What was the role of the General

Assembly?3. Why was Reverend Samuel

Worchester important?4. What was the importance of the

Worchester v. Georgia court case?5. How did John Ross fight for

Cherokee rights?6. What events led up to the Trail of

Tears?

The Dahlonega Gold Rush

1829 - Benjamin Parks discovers gold on Cherokee land in Dahlonega, Georgia.

In a short time, over 10,000 miners from all over the United States descended onto Cherokee lands in Georgia.

The Role of the General Assembly

The Georgia General Assembly quickly passed laws that stripped the Cherokee of their legal rights.– Declared Cherokee Laws “null and

void”– Forbade Cherokees from speaking

against whites in court– Declared that the Cherokee had NO

RIGHTS to any gold mined in Dahlonega

Rev. Samuel Worchester

1830 - The General Assembly forbade whites from living on Cherokee land unless they signed an oath of allegiance to the state of Georgia

Rev. Samuel Worchester, a white missionary living in New Echota, refused to sign the oath of allegiance– Sentenced to four years in prison– Worchester’s conviction was appealed to

the U.S. Supreme Court

Worchester v. Georgia Chief Justice John Marshall said that the

Cherokee Nation was not subject to Georgia State law– Worchester was to be set free– The Cherokee thought the ruling would

allow them to keep their landsPresident Andrew Jackson refused to

enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling, clearing the way for the removal of the Cherokee tribes

Chief John RossChief John Ross made several trips to

Washington, D.C.– Wanted the U.S. government to protect

the Cherokee from white settlers– Wanted past treaties to be honored

December 1835 - The Cherokee are forced to sign the Treaty of New Echota, giving their remaining lands in the southeast to the U.S. Government.

The Trail of TearsPart of the Treaty of New Echota said that the

Cherokee had to move to the Indian Territory (Oklahoma)

1838 - U.S. Army troops start rounding up the Cherokee at New Echota

4,000 Cherokee died along the 700 mile march to the Indian Territory (nearly 1/3 of the original

group)

Ticket out the door

Now that you have heard from both primary and secondary sources the conditions of the

Cherokee removal, write a two-paragraph letter to President Jackson in an effort to allow the Cherokee to remain on

their lands.