The Indian Removal Act

Law passed by Congress in 1830 and supported by President Andrew Jackson allowing the U.S. government to remove the Native Americans from their eastern homelands and force them to move west of the Mississippi River. Many tribes signed treaties and agreed to voluntary removal.

Resulted from Indians trying to return to their home land led by Chief Black Hawk.

The Cherokee people have been recognized as a nation by treaty with the US. The Cherokee had a written language, a legislature, a court system, and a militia. They fought their removal all the way to the Supreme Court which ruled in their favor. President Jackson refused to enforce the court's ruling and allowed the state of Georgia to remove the Cherokee from their land.

The Cherokees were forced to move 1,000 miles west on foot. Along the way 4,000 Cherokees died from cold, lack of food, shelter, and disease.

Led by Osceola, the Seminoles fought removal. With the help of escaped slaves, many of the Seminole made it to the southern swamps of the Everglades where they were able to hid and avoid removal.