Why did the U.S. government want the Cherokee to move off their land?
1 Answer
Several websites blame a gold rush in Georgia but there had been pressure to remove the tribes for some time. Conflict between Federal and State jurisdictions made the situation worse.
Explanation:
The expulsion of most of the "Five Civilized Tribes", (the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole) from East of the Mississippi was ordered by President Andrew Jackson in the face of a legal decision by the U.S.Supreme court against him. Jackson had fought the Creeks in 1814. His success In the Creek War elevated his reputation and eventually helped him to the White House in 1828.
The State of Georgia, in support of white settlers, used local Militia to invade and hold Native territory. Dealing with the Natives was a Federal jurisdiction but Andrew Jackson fearing a States rights backlash supported the State of Georgia's actions and moved to expel the Natives to Oklahoma.
This forced expulsion was know as the "Trail of Tears".
