Indian Removal

1
Indian Removal

• SS8H5 The student will explain significant
  factors that affected the development of Georgia
  as part of the growth of the United States
  between 1789 and 1840.
• d. Analyze the events that led to the removal of
  Creeks and Cherokees include the roles of
  Alexander McGillivray, William McIntosh,
  Sequoyah, John Ross, Dahlonega Gold Rush,
  Worcester v. Georgia, Andrew Jackson, John
  Marshall, and the Trail of Tears.

2
Indian Removal

• The Native American way of life was disrupted by
  the arrival of the colonists.
• The settlers wanted the land that Native
  Americans lived on and the resources and wealth
  that could be found on that land.

3
Post Revolutionary War

• After the Revolutionary War, the U.S. government
  felt it was important to restore peace with the
  Native Americans.
• In 1783, the Cherokee gave up more than 1 million
  acres to the state of Georgia in a treaty.
• The Creeks were less willing
• to give up their land

4
Alexander McGillvray- Creek

• Son of a European settler and a Creek Indian
  later became a chief of the Creeks
• Represented the Creek Nation throughout the
  Revolutionary War.
• Tensions grew as the pioneers pushed into Creek
  territory.
• Sent warriors to attack pioneers.
• Indians burned houses, stole horses and cattle,
  and killed or captured over 200 settlers.
• Georgia settlers were told to kill on sight any
  Creek not members of friendly tribes.
• Conflicts became known as Oconee War not an all
  out war.

5
Alexander McGillvray - Creek

• Conflicts continued for several years.
• In 1790, President Washington called him to New
  York there he signed the Treaty of New York.
• Creeks gave up their lands east of the Oconee
  River.
• US government promised no whites would go on the
  Creek land.
• Georgians felt the government had taken the side
  of the Native Americans and that they had been
  betrayed neither side paid any attention to
  treaty.

6
William McIntosh - Creek

• Son of European Settler and Native American.
• Led Creek Nation between 1810 and 1820.
• During this time, Creek tribes became separated
  from each other as their land was being taken
  from the government.
• Some groups signed treaties without asking other
  tribes to agree.

7
William McIntosh - Creek

• February 12, 1825, Chief McIntosh and his first
  cousin, Georgia Governor George Troup had created
  the Treaty of Indian Springs.
• U.S. paid 200,00 to give up the last Creek lands
  in Georgia to the federal government.
• The government gave use of the land to Georgia.

8
William McIntosh - Creek

• Groups of Creek that disagreed with the treaty
  met secretly to decide how to punish McIntosh.
• According to Creek law, he should die.
• They allowed the women and children to leave and
  then set fire to his home.
• McIntosh was dragged from the house and stabbed
  him in the chest. His scalp was taken as a
  warning to others who might want to give Creek
  land to white men.

9
Dahlonega Gold Rush

• Gold was discovered in Dahlonega in the summer of
  1829.
• Benjamin Parks was given credit for its discovery
  even though the Cherokee new it was there.
• Over 10,000 miners moved onto Cherokee land
  taking the land and gold away from the Cherokee.

10
Dahlonega Gold Rush

• Georgia passed a law that placed part of the
  Cherokee land under state control.
• The law also
• Cherokee laws were no longer recognized
• The Cherokee could not speak against a white man
  in a court of law.
• A white man could hurt or even kill a Cherokee
  without fear of punishment.

11
Dahlonega Gold Rush

• A second law was passed on December 19, 1829.
• Cherokee did not have any right to the gold found
  in Dahlonega.
• Miners searched for gold while Cherokees were
  losing their homes, lands, and legal rights.

12
Day 2
13
Civilizing

• Cherokee had to change to fit in with the white
  man. They hoped that if they adopted a life style
  like that of the white Americans, they could
  continue to live on their land in peace.

14
Civilizing

• Many had to
• Dress like white people
• Follow a written code of law
• Read and write English
• Follow Christian faith
• Many Cherokee resisted converting to
  Christianity. But they welcomed the education,
  tools, and training that was offered to them.
• Some also built big houses, ran businesses, and
  became plantation owners.
• Some even became slave owners.

15
Sequoyah

• Born George Gist to a Virginia scout/soldier and
  a Indian Princess.
• His Cherokee name was Sequoyah which meant lonely
  lame one.
• He was crippled and learned to be a blacksmith
  and work with silver because hunting and farming
  was too difficult.

16
Sequoyah

• He became interested in the white mans written
  language... Allowed information to be sent for
  miles on paper and people understood what the
  message was.
• Created a syllabary- symbols represent whole
  syllables.

17
Sequoyah

• He was made fun of until his daughter and young
  chiefs were able to write and read within a few
  days.
• 90 of the Cherokee could read and write.
• First Indians to have their language in written
  form.
• Showed that Native Americans could communicate
  without the white mans language.
• Cherokees create a newspaper in both English and
  Cherokee know as the Cherokee Phoenix

18
Worcester v. Georgia/John Marshall

• Georgia law required that a white person could
  not live on Cherokee land without taking an oath
  of allegiance to the state of Georgia and
  obtaining a permit to live in the territory.
• In 1831, the government ordered the Georgia Guard
  to arrest several missionaries who were trying to
  help the Cherokee because they refused to swear
  the oath and/or refused to leave.
• The missionaries were sentenced to four years in
  prison.

19
Worcester v. Georgia/John Marshall

• The governor agreed to pardon any of the
  missionaries that would sign the oath.
• All but 2 signed the oath.
• Missionaries Samuel Worcester and Elizur Butler
  took their cases to the Supreme Court.
• Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the
  previous decision could not stand because the
  Cherokee territory was not subject to state law.

20
Worcester v. Georgia/John Marshall

• Chief Justice John Marshall ordered the two mean
  set free, but the Georgia judge refused.
• Georgias governor would not take a stand.
• President Andrew refused to follow the Supreme
  Court order.
• The two men eventually gave up and were ordered
  to leave the state and never return.
• Cherokee land was divided into lots of 40 and 160
  acres. The state held a lottery to give away the
  land to white men.

21
Day 3
22
John Ross

• Only 1/8 Cherokee but kept close ties with the
  Cherokee.
• Ross became principal chief of the Cherokee
  Nation in 1827 following the establishment of a
  Cherokee government modeled after the United
  States. Remained the leader until his death in
  1866.
• The Cherokees were being forced to leave their
  land, whipped, and even killed.
• Chief John Ross made several trips to Washington
  to ask Congress for help.
• He wanted the Cherokee protected and past
  treaties honored and believed that Cherokee
  rights would be protected.

23
John Ross

• Fought for the Cherokee with words not weapons
  press and courts.
• When the Land Lottery of 1832 divided Cherokee
  land among the whites he filed suit in the white
  man's courts and won, only to see the ruling go
  unenforced.
• He continued to fight removal until it was clear
  that there was no alternative.
• At this point, he then began to negotiate with
  the government on how to handle the move.
• He accompanied his people on the Trail of Tears.
• Once in Indian Territory, he led the Cherokee in
  establishing farms, businesses, schools, and
  colleges.

24
Andrew Jackson

• Elected President of the United States in 1828.
• He was originally friendly with the Cherokee when
  he needed their help in fighting the Red Stick
  Creek.
• However, he was politically smart and knew that
  the white voters wanted Native American Indians
  removed from the southern states.

25
Andrew Jackson

• Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which
  required that all Native Americans be removed to
  the western territories.
• When the Supreme Court issued its order
  protecting the rights of the Cherokee, President
  Jackson refused to honor their decision.

26
Removal of Cherokee/Trail of Tears

• Georgians wanted to settle the Cherokee land and
  to mine the gold that had been found there.
• The Cherokee were told to come to New Echota and
  sign a treaty giving up all Cherokee land in the
  region.
• The Cherokee killed Major Ridge, his son and
  Elias Boudinot for signing the Treaty of New
  Echota This was was an unusual act for the
  Cherokee who had been peaceful and tried to fit
  into the white mans world.
• The Cherokee agreed to sign the treaty and move
  west and in return Georgia would give the
  Cherokee a little money and food for the trip.

27
Removal of Cherokee/Trail of Tears

• Many Cherokees refused to leave their home.
• They rounded up and put the Cherokee into
  stockades to house them until they could be
  moved many died there due to the conditions.
• Many were put onto boats and sent on rivers to
  their new home.
• The remaining began the 700-800 mile walk to
  Indian Territory.

28
Removal of Cherokee/Trail of Tears

• The harsh winter weather and lack of food led to
  the deaths of thousands.
• The Cherokee called the move Anuna-da-ut-suny
  which means the trail where they cried.