Chapter 11 Section 2Conflicts over Land

Moving Native Americans

• Native Americans in the Southeast– In the southeastern part of the U.S. lived the

“Five Civilized Tribes.” They were Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chikasaw, and Choctaw

– Many Americans, including President Jackson, wanted the federal government to relocate the Native Americans west of the Mississippi River.

Indian Removal Act

• In 1830 Congress passed an act that allowed the federal government to pay the Native Americans to move west.

• Jackson sent officials to negotiate treaties.

• In 1834 Congress created the Indian Territory, an area in present-day OK.

The Cherokee Nation

• The Cherokees refused to give up their land and sued the state of Georgia in Worcester v. Georgia

• The Cherokees won the case, but Jackson chose to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling.

The Trail of Tears

• In 1838 the federal government sent General Winfield Scott and 7000 troops to remove the Cherokees from their homes

• The Trail of Tears refers to the removal of the Cherokees, but other tribes were relocated to the Indian Territory.

Native American Resistance

• The Sauk and Fox People– In 1832 the Sauk and Fox tribes under the

Sauk chief, Black Hawk, tried to recapture their land in IL but failed

– The IL state militia and federal troops responded by gathered nearly 4500 soldiers. They chased the Sauk and the Fox people to the Mississippi River and slaughtered most of them

The Seminoles

• From 1835-1842 , Seminoles under their chief, Osceola, fought American soldiers in order to keep their land in FL.

• By 1842 the U.S. gave up and allowed some of the Seminoles to stay in FL, but many Seminoles had been killed during the fighting, and many more were captured and forced to move westward.