Conflict over Conflict over Indian LandsIndian Lands

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONWhy were the Indians removed from Georgia?

Struggles of the Struggles of the Creek IndiansCreek Indians

• The Oconee War- There was a series of clashes between Creek and settlers who pushed into Creek Lands-they were fighting over territory.

• President Washington called the Creek leader, Chief Alexander McGillivray to New York for peace talks where he signed the Treaty of New York, by which the Creek gave up all land east of the Oconee River

The Creek• Consisted of 2 distinct groups the Upper and Lower Creeks • The Upper Creeks or Red Sticks and Lower Creeks known as

the White Sticks were divided in their feelings toward the U.S.

• Red Sticks wanted war and the White Sticks wanted peace.• During the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Red Sticks

sided with Britain and the White Sticks sided with the US.• Ignited a civil war between the upper and lower creeks –

known as the Creek War• On August 30th, 1813 the Red Sticks attacked Fort Mims• Fort Mims Massacre -1,000 Red Sticks over ran the fort and

killed and scalped over 500 people, murdering innocent white & mixed blood families.

Chief McIntoshLeader of the Lower Creek, he had an Indian mother and Scottish fatherThe US Government used him to get rest of the Creek land.Without consent of tribe, McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs ceding the remaining Creek lands to U.S.He was later shot down, stabbed to death and scalped by Red Stick Creeks for giving up the last Creek lands in Georgia.

Interestingly, Chief McIntosh was a commissioned Brigadier General in the US Army and first cousin to then Georgia Governor, George M. Troup.

The Cherokees• Joined together to form

nation that crossed four states.

• Living in mountains they were out of main path of white migration.

• Went to war with whites and Creeks often.

• 1794 signed peace treaty with U.S.

What present day states were once part of the Eastern

Cherokee Nation?

George Gist, Guest, or Guess… George Gist, Guest, or Guess… SequoyahSequoyah

Sequoyah’s Sequoyah’s major contribution to the Cherokee culture was developing a syllabary so the Cherokee could have a written language.

The Cherokee chiefs sent him out to teach the people. Within six months, 90% of the Cherokee people were literate.

What Creek Chief was murdered for signing a treaty that gave away the last of Creek land to

the federal government?

William McIntoshWilliam McIntosh

Cherokee Efforts to adapt to White SocietyCherokee Efforts to adapt to White Society

•Cherokee wrote a Constitution similar to U.S. Constitution• three branches• Supreme Court• Executive branch was headed by an elected chief

Cherokee Efforts to Cherokee Efforts to adapt to White Societyadapt to White Society

•Had a permanent capitol city ---- New EchotaNew Echota

• Began a newspaper --- printed in both Cherokee and English --- titled the Cherokee Phoenix Cherokee Phoenix which was edited by Elias Boudinot

Cherokee Supreme CourtCherokee Supreme Court

What was George Gist’s major contribution to the Cherokee

culture?

Cherokee Alphabet

Georgia General Assembly

• Even as the Cherokee tried to adapt to White man’s ways, the state of Georgia made relations difficult…

They wanted to put an end to Cherokee Nation!!!• Declared Cherokee laws null and void• Passed an act extending authority of GA laws to

Cherokee.• Indians or descendants couldn’t testify in court

The state made all citizens sign an oath• Oath made people swear to abide by all laws of

state and to swear loyalty to the Governor • State made laws to take away rights of

Cherokees• No white man was allowed to work for or with a

Cherokee

What do you think brought these laws about in the state?

The Reverend Samuel WorchesterThe Reverend Samuel Worchesterand others helped fight for the rights of the Cherokee --- refused to sign the oath• Group was put in prison• case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court

Where was the permanent Cherokee capital located?

New Echota, Georgia

Worcester v. Georgia Worcester v. Georgia

Chief Justice John Marshall of the Supreme Court ruled in that Georgia laws did not apply to the Cherokee.

Chief Justice Marshall vs. Chief Justice Marshall vs. President Andrew JacksonPresident Andrew Jackson

President Andrew Jackson refused to enforce the Supreme Court decision.

“John Marshall has made his decision, now let him Enforce it!”

What was the first Native American newspaper?

The Cherokee Phoenix

There’s gold in them hills!There’s gold in them hills!

Gold Gold was discovered near DahlonegaDahlonega (city) and on Cherokee land. This was another reason to remove the Cherokee and take their land. The discovery of Gold in Dahlonega led to the final Indian Removal from Georgia

Chief John RossChief John Ross

• John Ross was a Cherokee chief that fought the move West by taking a petition to Congress protesting the Cherokee removal from their land.

• Ross believed his people could work through the American system of law to keep their land.

• Elias Boudinot, Major Ridge and John Ridge knew that a removal was inevitable and signed the Treaty Of New Echota, effectively signing over the remaining Cherokee lands.

Boudinot and the Ridges tookcompensation ($5Million) from the US Government and moved with those that would follow them to the West.

Ross and others stayed to fight within the system… but the end was coming for the rest.

John Ridge

Major Ridge

EliasBoudinot

Soldiers came and took the remaining Cherokee They were placed into stockades where some died.

They were eventually removed from the stockades and forced to use several different routes and methods of travel to reach Indian Indian TerritoryTerritory (now Oklahoma)(now Oklahoma)

Trail of Tears Trail of Tears – The US Government’s removal of the Cherokee from their ancestral lands and their forced trek to Indian Territory in the dead of winter.

4000 4000 Native-Americans died in captivity and on the journey west.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma --- new Cherokee CapitolAfter Ross and the others who survived the removal made it to Oklahoma, Several bands of Cherokee murdered (law of retaliation) Elias Boudinot, John Ridge and Major RidgeFor signing the Treaty of New Echota

What Congressional legislation allowed Georgia to push the Creek and the Cherokee out of the state

and to seize their lands?

The Indian Removal Act of 1830

Conflict over Conflict over Indian LandsIndian Lands

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONWhy were the Indians removed from Georgia?