Indian Removal Act Of 1830

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was a policy established through congress, that allowed the federal government to move the Native Americans out of their lands further west. When white Georgians discovered gold in western Georgia, they requested that the Cherokee Natives be removed so a gold mine could be established. In the Cherokee v. Georgia case, the Cherokee were found, by the Supreme Court, to have their own sovereignty and that the U.S state could not interfere with their land without permission. However, president Jackson disregarded the Supreme Courts decision and revoked the the Cherokee's rights to their land and began their removal. The Nation was forced to travel one thousand miles, leaving Georgia for Oklahoma on a grueling walk
known as the Trail of Tears. They would endure many hardships, and unfortunately many would succumb to death. As many as 4,000 people died on the journey, and those who survived would face conflicts with the natives who already resided in Oklahoma. Many white southern settlers believed the Native Americans to be uncivilised heathens who were not worthy of any decency, moreover many, like President Jackson, hoped that they would simply die out, so settlement in the west would be open for said white Americans. Although Jackson believed his efforts to be humane, they were anything but, and his policies nearly caused the extinction of the Indian people. This era in America's history is classified under one of the darkest times of this country.