Indian Removal Act

Letter from John Burnett– Story of the Trail of T
ears

Andrew Jackson defends the removal policy, 1830

Chief John Ross letter 1835

Sequoyah

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
Supreme Court ruling

“ John Marshall has made his decision….
Now let him enforce it.”

Osceola

Cherokee resistance

To the Trail of Tears

Dilemma

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 has

been passed. You are a member of
an Native American tribe who will be
relocated to the Indian Territory.
Members of your tribe are discussing
rather to accept or resist relocating
to this new territory.

Consider the following

points

• Who are you? Tell us about your family.

Where do you live? Describe your life.

• What was the Indian Removal Act?
• Why did whites pressure the government

to force the Cherokee out of Georgia?

• How had the Cherokee adapted to living

among white settlers?

• How did the Supreme Court rule on the

Cherokee case, and why was Jackson able

to ignore this ruling?

• How did some Native American groups

in the Southeast resist removal?

• How did the Indian Removal Act affect

Native American groups in the
Southeast?

• Why is the journey of the Cherokee to

Indian Territory known as the Trail of
Tears?

• Will you resist relocation to the Indian

Territory or will you make the long and
difficult journey?

• Be sure to use the following vocabulary in

your paper:

– Indian Removal Act
– Indian Territory
– Andrew Jackson
– Sequoyah