Background
Gold was discovered on Cherokee land in Georgia in 1835. Later that year, some American settlers decided that they wanted the Cherokee land. A small minority of the tribe signed the Treaty of New Echota in December 1835. According to the treaty, they agreed to give all their land east of the Mississippi River to the United States for 5 million dollars. However, most of the tribe refused to accept the terms of the treaty. They took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court struck down the treaty and ruled in favor of the Cherokee.
But state officials and President Andrew Jackson ignored the Court's decision. As a result, the Cherokee were forcefully removed from their land. About 15,000 Cherokee were rounded up and put in prison camps. Their homes were raided and burned. They were then sent west in groups of about 1,000, most on foot.
The journey and its effects
The 116-day forced journey was poorly managed. The Cherokee suffered terribly because of the freezing weather and small food supply. About 4,000 Cherokee died, largely because the U.S. troops refused to slow down or stop so the sick and tired could recover.
When the Cherokee got to Oklahoma, they were given some land and were allowed a limited form of self-government. Today, some Cherokee live on tribal land called reservations. In the late 20th century, there were about 62,000 Cherokee descendants living in eastern Oklahoma.