Lesson 3: Conflict with American Indians

Key Idea

In the early 1800s, the United States continued its westward expansion as white settlers pushed into new territories seeking land for farming. The edge of this settlement was called the frontier. Settlers often viewed this land as empty and open for the taking.

However, these lands were the ancestral homes of numerous American Indian nations. This led to constant, violent conflict. Settlers demanded access to the land, while American Indians fought to protect their homes, sovereignty, and way of life.

Key Idea

In the early 1800s, white settlers in the American Southeast demanded more land to grow cotton and expand their communities. This land was the ancestral home of several powerful Native American nations.

To meet these demands, President Andrew Jackson championed a policy of removal. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which authorized the federal government to force Native Americans to leave their eastern homelands and move to a designated territory west of the Mississippi River.

Key Idea

The Cherokee Nation resisted removal by adopting American-style political and legal methods. To protect their land, they established a government with a written constitution and declared themselves a sovereign, or independent, nation.

This strategy led to a major legal battle. The Cherokee took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court and won in the 1832 decision of Worcester v. Georgia. The Court affirmed that Georgia could not impose its laws on Cherokee territory.

Key Idea

As the U.S. expanded, the government wanted Native American lands for white settlers, leading to the policy of Indian Removal. The Cherokee Nation challenged this policy in the Supreme Court and won their case. However, President Andrew Jackson defied the court’s decision and moved forward with the plan.

The U.S. Army then forced 16,000 Cherokee people from their homes in the Southeast. They were marched over a thousand miles to territory in the West. On this brutal journey, thousands died from disease, hunger, and cold. This forced march became known as the Trail of Tears.