An in-depth look at the lives of the Cherokee Indians, from their first encounters with Europeans to events, such as the Gold Rush and the signing of the Indian Removal Act by Andrew Jackson, that led to their forced relocation to Indian Territory in 1838.

Interactive image of the original document through which President Andrew Jackson called for "Indian Removal," in 1830. Includes transcription as well as background and overview of the text and results of the Indian Removal policy.

During this 8-day unit, students will engage in collecting text evidence and then writing about their findings. They will answer the following question with credible, well-explained evidence: Why did Andrew Jackson and Elias Boudinot support Indian removal in the 1830s? [8:16]

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Explain the legal wrangling that surrounded the Indian Removal Act
Describe how depictions of Indians in popular culture helped lead to Indian removal