What events led to the Creek and Cherokee Removals?

  1. Background
  2. _1733_____ - Georgia was founded. Colonists were welcomed by __Tomochichi____, a Yamacraw Indian chief. Most of Georgia was inhabited by Indians.
  3. _1838__ - Just 105 years later, Georgia’s native Americans were gone. What happened?
  4. Cultural Differences – especially about _land ownership___ began to cause problems. Native Americans believed _land could not be owned__. Rather, it was __used and managed__.
  5. Whites had their European view of land that it could be __owned, bought, sold & inherited__.
  6. During the American Revolution, most Indians sided with the _British__. When the Patriots won, this cost many of them __their land_____.
  7. During the _War of 1812____, most Indians sided with the _Americans__. Even though they picked the winning side this time, many still lost land.
  8. 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_.
  9. 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.
  10. Many had received formal education in _northern__ schools.
  1. 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___.
  1. 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___.
  • By 1827 _Creeks had been removed from Georgia._____
  1. Creek Removal
  2. 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____.
  3. 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_.
  4. The _Choctaw__ were removed first, then the __Chickasaw___.
  5. 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___.
  6. 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.
  7. The treaty was ignored by white settlers who __burned_ Creek homes and _stole from their farms___.
  8. 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.
  1. 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:
  • _Sequoyah___ had created a __syllabary__ for the tribe, making the Cherokee the first tribe to have their language ___written down___
  • Had _permanent capital__ - New Echota in GA
  • Wrote _a constitution___ similar to US Constitution
  • _Accepted Christianity____
  • _Educated___ their people in their written language
  • __State of Georgia__ would not recognize Cherokee’s _government___
  • _1828__ - declared Cherokee laws _null and void__
  • 1829
  • Cherokee officials, including chief _John Ross_ went to Washington DC to plead their case before Congress
  • _Andrew Jackson___ had become president and urged Congress to pass _the Indian removal Act__.
  • _Gold_ was discovered in _Dahlonega, GA__ becoming America’s _first gold rush__.
  • 1830 – Georgia claimed Cherokee land
  • __Whites__ had to sign oath of __ allegiance___ to state
  • Many __missionaries__ refused and were jailed
  • 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.
  1. 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___