At the conclusion of the colonials'
war for independence from Britain,
during which the
Cherokee
had fought
alongside the British, a treaty was
signed in 1786 establishing the
boundaries of Cherokee territory. As
always, encroachments by European-American settlers continued in
violation of this written agreement. A
second treaty and another cession of
territory was forced on the Cherokee
people, sanctioning both existing
encroachments as well as anticipated
land hunger. In the War of 1812,
however, the Cherokee refused to join
with Tecumseh and the Creek-dominated southern confederacy of
tribes, choosing instead to come to the
aid of the European-Americans; they
were, in fact, instrumental in assisting
Andrew Jackson's forces against the
Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend
in Georgia. Their loyalty to the Union
brought no benefit or protection once
the conflict ended.
With peace once again returning to
the frontier, the encroachments by new
settlers continued.
John C. Calhoun,
Secretary of War in
James Monroe's
cabinet, called for the wholesale
removal of the remaining tribes from
the states. Monroe agreed, believing
the only chance for the tribes was to
resettle them far beyond the existing
frontier. For the Cherokee, this meant
having to give up not just hunting
grounds but a well-developed system
of agriculture and established towns.
The tribe dispatched its chief, John
Ross, and a delegation to meet with
Monroe in Washington, D.C. in
February 1816. Although promised
protection by Monroe from further
land grabbing, the Cherokee soon
came under tremendous pressure from
Andrew Jackson to relinquish a large
portion of their territory and agree to
relocation. Some 700 Cherokee
accepted Jackson's terms and prepared
to leave, and in 1819 a new treaty was
signed transferring one-quarter of the
remaining Cherokee territory to the
Union.
Monroe, who had become
extremely fearful of what would
happen to the remaining Cherokee,
delivered a speech before Congress on
December 2, 1817 that, although
distinguished by his intent, echoed the
earlier hope of assimilation expressed
by Jefferson:
[T]he earth was given to mankind to
support the greatest number of which it is
capable, and no tribe or people have a
right to withhold from the wants of others
more than is necessary for their own
support and comfort.
This was the same year that Andrew
Jackson, upon instructions from
Monroe, waged war against the
Seminoles in Spanish Florida. To be
sure, there were few similarities
between the Seminoles and the
Cherokee, except for the fact that each
was in possession of land the
European-Americans wanted for
settlement, speculation and profit.
Recognizing the futility of further
resistance against encroachments by
Union forces and settlers, Spain
relinquished its Florida possessions in
1821 to the Union for $5 million.
Despite all that was going on around
them, the Cherokee held to the
unrealistic hope that they could
peacefully live alongside the
European-Americans and remain on
the land of their birth.
A second visit by a Cherokee
delegation to Washington, D.C.
resulted in a declaration by James
Monroe before Congress in support of
the Cherokee claim to sovereignty.
The position of the President and,
ostensibly the national government,
ignored the fact that the boundaries of
the State of Georgia encircled the
Cherokee nation. Moreover, only
15,000 Cherokee remained to stand in
the way of the final removal of all
indigenous tribes from the eastern
portion of North America. In Georgia
alone nearly 500,000 European-Americans eagerly awaited the
opportunity to displace them.
In 1827 the Cherokee formed a
republic, adopted a written
constitution and elected John Ross as
president. The next year, Andrew
Jackson was elected to the presidency
of the Union, and the wholesale
removal of the tribes was accelerated.
Unfortunately for the Cherokee, in the
same year as Jackson took office gold
was discovered in Cherokee territory
and the pressure increased for their
removal. Even a decision by the
Supreme Court
(Worcester v. Georgia)
declaring the State of Georgia had no
authority in the territory of the
Cherokee failed to protect their
property and territory from being
confiscated. With regard to the Court's
decision, Andrew Jackson is quoted as
having remarked: "John Marshall has
made his decision, now let him enforce
it."
By 1835 the Cherokee people had
become divided over what course of
action to take. John Ross had once
more gone to Washington, D.C. to
plead their case, but in his absence
other leaders agreed to terms that
directed the Cherokee to abandon all
claims to their territory. Those who
signed the treaty and six hundred
others departed in 1837. When
Brigadier General John Wool, the
Union officer sent by Jackson in
mid-1836 to oversee the Cherokee
removal, reacted sympathetically to
their cause and attempted to protect
them from abuse by state officials and
settlers in Georgia and Alabama,
Jackson had Wool brought up on
charges of insubordination. Winfield
Scott was dispatched by the new
president,
Martin Van Buren, in 1838
to hasten events to the desired result.
Nearly 4,000 Cherokee -- more than
one quarter of the tribe -- died on their
forced march across the Mississippi
and into the region that eventually
became of the State of Oklahoma.
Remarkably resilient, the
Cherokee people adopted a new
constitution and rebuilt their nation in
this new territory. John Ross, elected
Principal Chief, once again traveled to
Washington, D.C. in 1846 to negotiate
a new treaty with the Union. During
the war between the states, however,
the Cherokee joined with the
Confederacy; and, in the battles to
come, much of what the Cherokee had
built was destroyed. After the war
their lands were reduced to a small
reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
Cherokee
had fought
alongside the British, a treaty was
signed in 1786 establishing the
boundaries of Cherokee territory. As
always, encroachments by European-American settlers continued in
violation of this written agreement. A
second treaty and another cession of
territory was forced on the Cherokee
people, sanctioning both existing
encroachments as well as anticipated
land hunger. In the War of 1812,
however, the Cherokee refused to join
with Tecumseh and the Creek-dominated southern confederacy of
tribes, choosing instead to come to the
aid of the European-Americans; they
were, in fact, instrumental in assisting
Andrew Jackson's forces against the
Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend
in Georgia. Their loyalty to the Union
brought no benefit or protection once
the conflict ended.