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Indian Removal Act of 1830 signed by Andrew Jackson
The first major law reversing U.S. policy of respecting native rights paved the way for the often forcible emigration of thousands of Indians to the West. -
Ist phase of removal of the Choctaw Nation in 1831
Removal of the Choctaw Nation in 1831. -
Treaty of New Echota
1835 - Treaty Party signs Treaty of New Echota, giving up title to all Cherokee lands in southeast in exchange for land in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). -
Camp Wool
Cherokee tribes are put into relocation camps. -
Arrival of Cherokee Nation Removal to Oklahoma
In 1838, the Cherokee Indians became the fifth major tribe to experience forced relocation
to Indian Territory. The Cherokee Nation moved from its ancestral homeland in parts of North Carolina,
Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama to land set aside for them in what is now the state of Oklahoma. -
Beginning of Trail of Tears Journey
Fall of 1838, and Winter of 1839 - Trails of Tears. US Government's forced removal of 17,000 Cherokees, in defiance of Supreme Court decision. More than 4,000 die from exposure and disease along the way. -
Public Law 100-192
In 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-192, designating two of the routes taken by the Cherokee people
in their removal as a National Historic Trail within the National Trails System. Today, it is best know as "The
Trail of Tears".
