Native American 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.
CREEKS:
 Sometimes referred to as Muscogees
Upper Creeks:
 Lived in northern Alabama
 Also called the Red Sticks in the Creek Wars
 Sided with the British in the War of 1812
o Fought against Americans, Cherokees, and
Lower Creeks
o Defeated by Gen. Andrew Jackson and forced
to give up a large portion of their land
 Alexander McGillivray:
o Upper Creek Leader who fought for Creek land
o eventually agreed to cede some land to Georgia
Lower Creeks:
 William McIntosh:
o Lower Creek leader
o unsuccessfully tried to convince other chiefs
and the Cherokees to sell their remaining lands
o signed the Treaty of Indian Springs without
the tribe’s permission in 1825
o was later hunted down by his people and killed
CHEROKEES:
o Lived in southern Appalachian mountains, mostly
northern Georgia and parts of AL, NC, and TN
o Were out of main path of western migration so were
left alone longer than the Creeks
o Were considered the most “civilized” by white
Americans
o Capital was New Echota
Sequoyah:
o created a syllabary (symbols representing
syllables) of the language
o first written form of a Native American language
Cherokee Phoenix: Cherokee newspaper edited by
Elias Boudinott
Dahlonega gold rush & the Cherokee:
o In 1828 gold was discovered on Cherokee land
o In 1828 the Georgia General Assembly said that
Cherokee laws were “null and void” as of June 1,
1830
o State leaders argued that the U.S. Constitution
prohibited the creation of a nation within a state
without approval by the state, therefore there
could be no Cherokee nation
Worcester v. Georgia
o Georgia ordered any white living in Cherokee
country to sign an oath of loyalty to GA
o Several white missionaries refused and were
arrested
o The U.S. Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice
John Marshall, declared that Georgia laws did not
apply in the Cherokee nation
o the missionaries were freed
o President Andrew Jackson and GA Governor
Lumpkin ignored the decision
John Ross: Cherokee chief who was against Cherokee
removal
Treaty of New Echota:
o in 1835 Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinott
(& others) signed gave up all Cherokee land for $5
million against the will of Chief John Ross and most
of the tribe
o these 3 were later killed by other Cherokees
Trail of Tears:
o In the winter of 1838 Gen. Winfield Scott rounded
up the last 15,000 Cherokees in GA
o most resisted and some successfully hid in the
mountains
o forced march west to Indian Territory 4,000 died
from disease, starvation, and exposure