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Georgia Sovereignty Law
The Georgia State legislature introduced a bill that would claim the sovereignty of the state government over the boundraies of Georgia State. This included land that was owned by the Cherokees, who still had legal rights over their land, as determined by treaties with the federal government. -
Indian Removal Act
Jefferson 's policy was to accept Native Americans' rights to their homeland and guide them to practicing agriculture-based society. However, Jackson wanted to remove Indians, enacting a law in 1829, that was signed into law on May 28, 1830. Though it was signed voluntarily, pressure was put on the Native American leaders to sign removal treaties.
The tribes affected by these new policies included the: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chockaw, Creek, and Semmole. -
Test Case Against Georgia Law
Samuel Worchester and three missionaries were arrested when they refuse to obtain a license to live with the Cherokees as a result of the Georgia law. -
Worcester v. Georgia
Worchester and the three missionaries present their case in front of the Supreme Court. As a result, they were convicted in September and were each sentenced to three years in prison. -
Worcester Pardon
Worcester accepts a pardon from the governer of Georgia and is released from prison. Though they prevailed in their case, they were afraid of pursuing further litigation thinking it would exacerbate the current state rights crisis. -
Treaty of Echota
The treaty established terms under which the entire Cherokee nation was expected to cede its territory in the southeast and move west to the Indian territory. -
Trail Of Tears
In the fall and winter of 1838-1839, the U.S. Army forcibly removed about 15,000 Cherokees, some of them in manacles, from their ancestral homelands in the sourtheastern United STates and marched them to the "Indian Territory" of present-day Oklahoma. Freezing weather and inadequate food supplies led to unspeakable suffering. The escorting troops refused to slow the forced marchso that the ill could recover, and some 4,000 Cherokees died on the 116-day journey. -
Killing of John Ridge and Elias Boudinot
The home of John Ridge was broken into by a party of Cherokee Indians who broke into his house and stabbed hime to death. His father, Major Ridge, on his way to Vineyard in Washington County AK was killed near the line. Elias Boudinot was engaged in building his house at Park Hill but left with three men for the home of Doctor Worcester to secure medicine for them. About halfway there his companions killed him on a spot near the hill south of the present Park Creek.
