Oklahoma Cherokee Reservation
Among five civilized Indian tribes, the Cherokee Indians were thought of as the strongest Indian Tribes during the 1800’s. As they adopted ways of the white settlers during the early 1800’s many of the settlers objected and therefore did everything they could to extinguish the Indians.
Indian Removal Act of 1830
For years the Indians had worked hard on the land they owned but the seventh President of the United States of America changed all of that when he signed a bill into law that would change the lives of a people forever. The Twenty-First Congress passed the Indian Removal Act on May 267th, 1830. The bill was passed mainly because of the greediness of some American frontiersman.
The Cherokee Indians were the first to be forced off their land in the state of Georgia. A previous agreement was signed in 1802 that gave the government the rights to the western lands. In return the government promised to take away the titles of all land owned by the Indians. However years later most Georgians lost hope that the government would up hold their original agreement and to their dismay the Cherokee Indians tribes, who had owned a vast area of the land in Georgia had their own agreement written up which gave them sole jurisdiction over their territory.
Because of the Indian removal act the case wound up in court and when the Cherokee nation looked to President Jackson for assistance he basically turned his back on them. He even recommended that the Indians be driven closer to the west of the Mississippi river.
The Cherokee Indians were not the only Indians who were affected by the Removal Act of 1830. The Seminole tribe, the Creek Indians, Chickisaw and Choctaw all had similar events happen that forced them into land disputes between them and white men.
For 10 years thousands of Indians were displaced out of the homes and off their land. They were forced to Oklahoma where they had to live in designated only areas. These harrowing years were known as The Trails of Tears because five tribes of Indians traveled certain trails to get to their newly appointed home Oklahoma. They were given certain parts of the land there until 1906 when they were forced to other reservations.
There were many Cherokee Indians Chiefs, among them, Elias Boudinot, an Editor of a newspaper for 6 years before becoming a renowned Author. Col. Bowl was the head of one of the first tribes to settle on the west side of the Mississippi. He is known for his hideous act of massacring every male in a group of immigrants at Muscle Shoals, Tennessee. He was later killed in a dispute over land in Texas.
Chief Big Mush was another Cherokee Indian Chief who was killed in 1839 by Texans who were hell bent on extinguishing the Indians.
Chief Black Fox took the first steps towards civilization when he signed an agreement to abolish the customs of his native tribes.
Chief Dragging Canoe may have been the only Chief among the Cherokees who was in alliance with Andrew Jackson at time when most Indians resented him for enacting their removal.
Stephen Foreman, Going Snake, Hanging-maw, Jolly John, Junaluska, Attakullaculla Little Carpenter and Chief Moytoy were also important chiefs among the Cherokee Indian Tribes.
Similar Posts:
- Cherokee Removal – Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act, signed by President Andrew Jackson on May 26th 1830 lead
Tags: Chief Big Mush, Chief Black Fox, Chief Dragging Canoe, Col. Bowl, Indian Removal Act, Oklahoma Cherokee Reservation, Trails of Tears
Cherokee Nation | Medicine Man | 10 August 2009 |
