1830: President Jackson authorizes Native peoples’ removal from Georgia
President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the Army to force Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes, including some of his former allies in the War of 1812, out of Georgia and surrounding states. This sets the stage for the Cherokee Trail of Tears and other forced relocation marches.
- Theme
- Federal-Tribal Relations
- Region
- Great Plains, Southeast
Map showing the Cherokee Trail of Tears and other forced relocation marches.
During the 1830s the U.S. government forced tens of thousands of Native Americans, including many members of the Cherokee, Muscogee Creek, Seminole, and Choctaw nations from their homelands to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). The phrase “Trail of Tears” originated from a description of the removal of the Choctaw Nation in 1831.
The Trail of Tears, painting by Robert Lindneux, 1942. American artist Robert Lindneux, who traveled and lived in the American West, often created Western genre images for collectors.
Courtesy Granger Collection, New York