What events led to the Creek and Cherokee Removals?
I.
Background




_1733_____ - Georgia was founded. Colonists were welcomed by __Tomochichi____,
a Yamacraw Indian chief. Most of Georgia was inhabited by Indians.
_1838__ - Just 105 years later, Georgia’s native Americans were gone. What
happened?
Cultural Differences – especially about _land ownership___ began to cause problems.
Native Americans believed _land could not be owned__. Rather, it was __used and
managed__.
Whites had their European view of land that it could be __owned, bought, sold &
inherited__.

During the American Revolution, most Indians sided with the _British__. When the
Patriots won, this cost many of them __their land_____.


During the _War of 1812____, most Indians sided with the _Americans__. Even though
they picked the winning side this time, many still lost land.
The American government decided a “civilization” policy would be the best for Indians in
the eastern U.S. Those 5 tribes were the Choctaw, Chickasaw, _Cherokee_, _Creek__,
and _Seminole_.


II.
During the 1800s, most tribal leaders were of _mixed_ ancestry - __white_ fathers and
__Indian_ mothers. By having Indian mothers, they were accepted by the Indians into
the tribes.
Many had received formal education in _northern__ schools.
Creeks
 Were a _confederation___ of tribes

Called themselves ___Muscogee__________

Lived in northern _Alabama_, western and southern __Georgia______

During Revolutionary War, most Creeks had sided with the British. After the war, they
were _punished__ by having to give up parts of their land, including land wanted by
__Georgia settlers______.

_Upper Creeks___ refused to give up land in Georgia. Led by chief _Alexander
McGillivray___. The fought with the white settlers. Eventually signed the _Treaty of
New York__ and gave up their land in Georgia between the __Oconee _ and
____Ocmulgee___ Rivers.

War of 1812 – British vs. U.S. (again!) – Creeks divided themselves. __Red Sticks
(Upper Creeks)__ sided with the British; __White Sticks (Lower Creeks)__ sided with
Americans.

Gen. __Andrew Jackson___ led the US Army and White Stick Creeks in attacks against
Red Sticks and other battles of the war. Most pivotal battle was the Battle of
_Horseshoe Bend___ in Alabama in ___1814___.
III.
William McIntosh
 Mother was __Creek_ and father was __Scottish___

Fought with Andrew ___Jackson__ at Horseshoe Bend in 1814.

1825 – McIntosh signed the __Treaty of Indian Springs___, which gave up the rest of
_Creek_____ land in Georgia

__May 1, 1825____ - Creek _ warriors___ marched to McIntosh’s home and _set it on
fire__. When he ran out of the house, he was shot, stabbed, and scalped___.

IV.
By 1827 _Creeks had been removed from Georgia._____
Creek Removal
 1828 – Andrew Jackson was elected _president___. Even though he used the Indians
during the War of 1812, he knew __white voters__ wanted Indians removed from the
_southeast____.

In _1830___, the ___Indian removal Act_ was passed. This law provided federal
funding to move all Indians to _Indian territory, west of the Mississippi River_.

The _Choctaw__ were removed first, then the __Chickasaw___.

The Creeks refused to leave their _homeland_ after hearing of the deaths of so many
Choctaw and Chickasaw. In retaliation, the state of __Georgia____ took away all of
their _lands___.

The Creek in Georgia were going __hungry___ and suffering from __smallpox_____.
Creek leaders signed the Treaty of Washington, in which they gave up __5___ million
acres of land in order to keep __2__ million acres.

The treaty was ignored by white settlers who __burned_ Creek homes and _stole from
their farms___.

After some Creeks attacked white settlers near ___Tuskegee, Alabama__, the U.S.
Army captured almost _1,000__ and forced them to move to Indian territory.
V.
Cherokee
 Lived in parts of 4 states - __Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee_._

During Revolutionary War, sided with __the British___ but in War of 1812, sided with
the _Americans_.

Seen as the most __civilized___ of the five civilized tribes because:
a. _Sequoyah___ had created a __syllabary__ for the tribe, making the Cherokee
the first tribe to have their language ___written down___
b. Had _permanent capital__ - New Echota in GA
c. Wrote _a constitution___ similar to US Constitution
d. _Accepted Christianity____
e. _Educated___ their people in their written language

__State of Georgia__ would not recognize Cherokee’s _government___

_1828__ - declared Cherokee laws _null and void__

1829
a. Cherokee officials, including chief _John Ross_ went to Washington DC to plead
their case before Congress
b. _Andrew Jackson___ had become president and urged Congress to pass _the
Indian removal Act__.
c. _Gold_ was discovered in _Dahlonega, GA__ becoming America’s _first gold
rush__.

1830 – Georgia claimed Cherokee land
a. __Whites__ had to sign oath of __ allegiance___ to state
b. Many __missionaries__ refused and were jailed
c. Lawsuit was filed and went to _the Supreme Court_. __Worcester vs. Georgia__
was the name of the case. Chief Justice __John Marshall___ ruled that Georgia
laws did __NOT__ apply to the Cherokee nation

1832 - __Georgia_ began dividing up __Cherokee__ land for a __ land lottery_

1835 – a __small group__ of Cherokee leaders signed the ___Treaty of New Echota_,
giving away their land in Georgia

1836 – Treaty of New Echota was _ratified__ in the US Senate by __1_ vote.
Cherokee were given __2 years__ to move.
VI.
Trail of Tears

__General Winfield Scott__ and US Army troops started rounding up Cherokee from
their homes

They were put in ___stockades_ through the summer of _1838__

Most walked the ___800 miles__ from Cherokee territory to _Oklahoma__

Around ___16,000__ left and nearly ___4,000__ died on the journey that is commonly
called the ___Trail of Tears___