Indian Removal Act

Indian Removal Act: Primary Documents in American History Library of Congress reference librarians

• https://guides.loc.gov/indian-removal-act May 14, 2019 "The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830, authorizing the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy. During the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, the Cherokees were forcibly moved west by the United States government. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this forced march, which became known as the "Trail of Tears." Library of Congress Research Guides

The Cherokees vs. Andrew Jackson Brian Hicks

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-cherokees-vs-andrew-jackson-277394 Mar 1, 2011 "To a degree unique among the five major tribes in the South, the Cherokees used diplomacy and legal argument to protect their interests. With the help of a forward-looking warrior named Major Ridge, Ross became the tribe’s primary negotiator with officials in Washington, D.C., adept at citing both federal law and details from a dozen treaties the Cherokees signed with the federal government between 1785 and 1819." Smithsonian Magazine

3-2-1 Trail of Tears Summary

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail 26:26

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LSkfmCj8Jg&t Apr 18, 2013 The forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from the SE United States reveals one of the darkest chapters in American history. Stories of hardship, endurance, love, and loss come alive as a grandfather experiences removal with his granddaughter. NationalTrailsNPS

Andrew Jackson's Indian Policy 2:11

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ya9YGfaAU4 May 1, 2020 Andrew Jackson’s harsh attitudes against Native Americans leads to the Indian Removal Act, which forces five eastern Indian tribes onto reservations in Oklahoma. Thousands of Indians die during the journey, which became known as "The Trail of Tears." NBC News Learn

How the Brutal Trail of Tears Got Its Name 2:44

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SosZ2ZRJymU Dec 2, 2016 The Indian Removal Act of 1830 resulted in the forced relocation of over 15,000 Cherokee people--a third of whom died during the journey to Oklahoma. From: AERIAL AMERICA: The South http://bit.ly/2gVUXxA Smithsonian Channel

Trail of Tears History [Indian Removal Act] 5:26

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiYudyFLoOw Jan 27, 2021 **Trail of Tears History: Truly one of the darkest moments in American history as thousands of Native Americans were forced from their land in the early to mid-1800s. Thousands of Native Americans died on the forced journey to the west. Questions below:

1. How did white Europeans and Native Americans view land differently?

2. What invention caused the desire for land in the Southeastern United States to grow?

3. What did the U.S. Supreme Court decide concerning Native American removal?

4. It is estimated that how many acres of land were taken from Native Americans?

5. Despite the forced removal of Native Americans being clearly wrong, why do you believe Americans did it anyway? Do you think something like this could happen again? The Daily Bellringer

Worcester v. Georgia | "A Distinct Community" 8:10

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j9GqySIcaU May 18, 2017 A Georgia court convicted Samuel Worcester of settling in Cherokee Nation territory without obtaining a state license. Worcester appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned the decision in 1832. The court also laid down guiding principles on the relationship between Native American tribes, states, and the nation. John Marshall described the Cherokee Nation as “a distinct community” over which “the laws of Georgia have no force… [except] with the assent of the Cherokees themselves…” The ruling thus accorded Native American tribes important elements of sovereignty, which have been reinforced in hundreds of cases since that time. Yet the ruling did not protect the Cherokees and other Native American tribes from oppression. Perhaps best known to Georgians is the forced removal of Native Americans from the state on the infamous “Trail of Tears.” This animated video is part of the Virtual Museum of Law, presented by the State Bar of Georgia's Law-Related Education Program and funded by the Cornerstones of Freedom® program. Learn more at https://www.thelawmuseum.org/work/worcester-v-georgia State Bar of Georgia