What wiped out almost half of the Cherokee population?

In 1738-39 the tribe experienced its worst epidemic from smallpox, when the disease was brought by traders or was brought back from an expedition in which the Cherokee aided the British against the Spanish in Florida. Between 7,000 and 10,000 Cherokees died, representing about one-half of the tribe's population.

What caused the removal of the Cherokee?

The removal of the Cherokees was a product of the demand for arable land during the rampant growth of cotton agriculture in the Southeast, the discovery of gold on Cherokee land, and the racial prejudice that many white southerners harbored toward American Indians.

How were most of the Cherokee people ultimately removed from their land?

The Cherokee were given two years to migrate voluntarily, at the end of which time they would be forcibly removed. By 1838 only 2,000 had migrated; 16,000 remained on their land. The U.S. government sent in 7,000 troops, who forced the Cherokees into stockades at bayonet point.

What was the Cherokee Removal Crisis?

During the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, the Cherokees were forcibly moved west by the United States government. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this forced march, which became known as the "Trail of Tears."

When was the Cherokee tribe removed?

Our Journey

Starting in the summer of 1838, Cherokees were rounded up and forced from their homes in Georgia, Tennessee and other southeastern states to the tribe's current capital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, as part of the federal Indian Removal Act.

Cherokee Tribe History

Who defeated the Cherokee?

On September 19, 1776, troops from South Carolina defeated a band of Cherokee Indians in what is now Macon County.

Who sent to remove the Cherokee?

President Martin Van Buren assigned General Winfield Scott to head the forcible removal of Cherokee citizens. General Scott arrived in Athens, Tennessee, and issued his first orders from there on May 10, 1838, to an army of about 2,200 federal soldiers. They began forcing Cherokee from their homes at bayonet i point.

Where did the Cherokee Removal happen?

This is the story of the removal of the Cherokee Nation from its ancestral homeland in parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama to land set aside for American Indians in what is now the state of Oklahoma.

Who was responsible for the forced removal of the Cherokees quizlet?

Finally in 1838, president Martin Van Buren forced the Cherokees to move in winter of 1838-1839, they went to indian territory, guarded by 7,000 soldiers.

What did the Cherokees call their forced removal to the Indian Territory and why?

The Trail of Tears. In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects.

How did the Cherokee lose their land?

President Martin Van Buren sent General Winfield Scott and 7,000 soldiers to expedite the removal process. Scott and his troops forced the Cherokee into stockades at bayonet point while his men looted their homes and belongings. Then, they marched the Indians more than 1,200 miles to Indian Territory.

How were the Cherokee defeated?

He negotiated to ransom hostages and prepared another expedition. In May and June 1761 Colonel James Grant, a Scot who had served with Montgomery, led an expedition of more than 2,400 troops to subdue the middle and upper towns. Grant's troops defeated Cherokee forces and systematically destroyed towns and crops.

How did the native peoples lose their land?

How did the native peoples lose their land? Answer: After the expansion of the USA settlement, the natives were forced to move after signing treaties and selling their land.

Who drove out the Indians?

The Indian Removal Act, the key law which authorized the removal of Native tribes, was signed by Andrew Jackson in 1830. Although Jackson took a hard line on Indian removal, the law was enforced primarily during the Martin Van Buren administration.

What was the forced removal of natives called?

On May 28, 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, beginning the forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans in what became known as the Trail of Tears.

How many Cherokee were removed?

Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of their slaves; from their lands in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama to the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) in ...

Who was the Cherokees enemy?

Between three thousand to four thousand years ago, after enduring conflicts with the Iroquois and the Delaware (see entries) tribes, the Cherokee moved again—this time to the southeastern part of the present-day United States. Their traditional enemy was the Chickasaw (see entry) tribe.

What battle ended the Cherokee War?

It ended with a defeat at Echoee (Itseyi) Pass when Montgomerie tried to enter the Middle Towns territory. Later in 1760, the Overhill Cherokee defeated the British colonists at Fort Loudoun and took it over. In 1761, Montgomerie was replaced by British army officer James Grant.

What caused the Native American population to decline?

Most scholars agree that diseases introduced from the Eastern Hemisphere, including smallpox, measles, and influenza, were the overwhelming cause of population decline (Cook, 1998). The relationship between epidemic disease and American Indian population decline is relatively well documented in the nineteenth century.

When did natives lose most of their land?

In 1830, US Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, forcing many indigenous peoples east of the Mississippi from their lands. While the act called for negotiation with indigenous peoples, President Andrew Jackson resorted to force.

When did Native Americans lose most of their land?

Beginning in the 1880s, the U.S. enacted legislation that resulted in Native Americans losing ownership and control of two thirds of their reservation lands. The loss totaled 90 million acres – about the size of Montana.

What happened to the Cherokee after the removal?

It remains tribal headquarters for the Cherokee Nation today. About 1,000 Cherokees in Tennessee and North Carolina escaped the roundup. They gained recognition in 1866, establishing their tribal government in 1868 in Cherokee, North Carolina. Today, they are known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

What helped the Cherokee fight removal?

Answer and Explanation: The Supreme Court of the United States helped the Cherokee to fight removal in 1838. The Cherokee decided that the best way to remain on their ancestral land in modern-day Georgia was to set up a legal rather than physical fight.

What happened to the Cherokee lands by 1907?

Having endured the long removal process west, the Cherokee in the Indian Territory began building a new life in Tahlequah, the new tribal capital. The Indian Territory combined with the Oklahoma Territory in 1907 to form the State of Oklahoma.