Chapter 6 Section 4

Native Americans in Georgia

Vocabulary:

  1. Syllabary – a group of symbols that represent syllables in the Cherokee language
  2. Sequoyah – invented the written language for the Cherokee by creating the syllabary
  3. The Cherokee Phoenix – The newspaper for the Cherokee nation that was written in English and in Cherokee
  1. New Echota – the capital of the Cherokee nation located in North Georgia
  2. Treaty of New York – 1790 - Chief Alexander McGillvray ceded land east of the Oconee River to the United States in hopes of protecting the rest of the Creek land
  3. Treaty of Indian Springs – 1825 -Chief William McIntosh of the Creeks is paid by the US Government to cede the last of Creek lands in Georgia to the federal government.

Indian Removal Act- An act signed by Congress to move all Indians to the Western Territories.

  1. Treaty of Washington – 1832 -The Creek cede to the US government 5 million acres of land. In return, the government agreed to set aside 2 million acres for the Creek to live and farm on. The government promised to protect the land. The Creeks could own the land after they had lived on it for 5 years.
  2. Dahlonega Gold Rush – When gold was found on Cherokee land and the white settlers rushed to claim Cherokee land.
  3. Trail of Tears – The forced removal of the Native Americans to the Western Territories of Oklahoma by the US government. Over 4 thousand Indians died on their journey to their new home.
  4. Alexander McGillvray – Creek leader who tried to protect Indian territory.
  5. William McIntosh – a Creek leader who signed a treaty to give land to the US government for money and then was murdered by his tribe.
  6. John Ross – The Chief of the Cherokee nation during the time of the Indian Removal
  7. Andrew Jackson – The president who signed the Indian Removal Act
  8. Chief Justice John Marshall – the Supreme Court Justice that ruled that it was unconstitutional for Georgia to make laws over territory belonging to the Cherokee nation.

The Cherokee – Sequoyah’s Syllabary pg. 193

  • Why did Sequoyah decide to write the syllabary? He noticed that that paper could be carried around and the people who used them could understand the meaning of the marks on the paper.
  • Why was it important that the Cherokee could read and write their own language?It demonstrated that Indians could communicate with each other without using the language of the white settler.

The Cherokee Phoenix pg. 193-194

  • Who was the first editor of The Cherokee Phoenix? Elias Boudinot
  • What language(s) was the paper printed in?English and Cherokee
  • How did the paper help the Cherokee nation? It drew the Cherokee tribes together and made it possible for them to be able to spread news.

Cherokee Capital Moves to New Echota pg. 194

  • Where was the permanent Cherokee capital in 1825?New Echota
  • Describe the Cherokee constitution.Similar to the United States. It had three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The Chief was elected and it had a bicameral legislature

The Creek pg. 195

  • What was the Oconee War?In the 1700’s the settlers and the Creek Indians had several battles along the Oconee River. The tribes were led by Chief Alexander McGillvray.
  • Who signed the Treaty of New York in 1790?Chief McGillvray and President George Washington
  • Describe the details of the Treaty of New York.The Creek gave up all their land east of the Oconee River. They also promised to honor a previous treaty. In return, the US government promised that no whites would go west of the Oconee. The government also agreed to help start farms by giving them tools and farm animals.

The Creek War pg. 195-196

  • Who were the Red Sticks in the Creek War?Indians who wanted war with the white man.
  • Who were the White Sticks in the Creek War?Indians who wanted peace with the white man.
  • How did General Andrew Jackson defeat the Red Stick Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend? The last battle of the Creek War was on March 27, 1814. General Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Stick Creeks with the help of the White Stick Creeks.
  • What was result of that loss to the Creeks?The Creeks surrendered and gave their land to the US government; which meant the Creeks owned no more land in souther-Georgia.

Murder of Chief William McIntosh pg. 196-197

  • What was the Treaty of Indian Springs?Chief William McIntosh of the Creeks is paid by the US Government to cede the last of Creek lands in Georgia to the federal government.
  • Why was Chief McIntosh murdered?It was against Creek law to give land to a white man, so he broke the law when he signed the Treaty of Indian Springs and the punishment was death.

The Indian Removal pg. 197

  • What was the Indian Removal Act of 1830?An act signed by Congress to move all Indians to the Western Territories.

The Removal of the Creek pg. 197-198

  • What was the Treaty of Washington of 1832?The Creek cede to the US government 5 million acres of land. In return, the government agreed to set aside 2 million acres for the Creek to live and farm on. The government promised to protect the land. The Creeks could own the land after they had lived on it for 5 years.
  • Why did the Creeks agree to this treaty? Because they had lost their hunting lands and were starving.
  • What happened to the treaty?The treaty was broken by the white man.

Removal of the Cherokee pg. 198-199

  • Why did Georgia settlers want the Cherokee land?Georgian’s wanted to homestead the land and to mine for gold.

Gold in Dahlonega pg. 198-199

  • Who discovered gold in the North Georgia Mountains in 1829?Benjamin Parks
  • How did Georgia gain control of Cherokee land?The Georgia legislature passed a law that placed part of the Cherokee land under state control. It declared Cherokee laws null and void. They also refused the Cherokee any right to gold mined on their land.

The Indians’ Last Hope pg. 199-201

  • Why were white missionaries removed from Cherokee territory?A law was passed that said that a white person could not live on Cherokee land without taking an oath of allegiance to the governor.
  • What was the verdict of the missionaries and why?Guilty, because they refused to sign the oath of loyalty.
  • Which two missionaries refused to take the oath of loyalty?Missionaries Samuel Worchester and Elizur Butler
  • What did Chief Justice John Marshall rule on this decision?Justice Marshal ruled that the decision of the Lawrenceville court could not stand because Cherokee territory was not subject to state law.
  • What officials ignored the court order by Justice Marshall and why?Judge Clayton, Georgia Governor Wilson Lumpkin, and President Andrew Jackson because they wanted the land for the white settlers.
  • Which land distribution system was used to distribute Cherokee lands?Land Lotteries
  • Which Cherokee Chief went to Washington to ask Congress for help? Chief John Ross

Trail of Tears pg. 201-203 (1838)

  • What General was ordered to round up the Cherokee for their removal?General Winifield Scott
  • Why did the Cherokee die in the stockades?Hundreds died due to cholera, dysentery, and fever while in the stockades
  • Why did the Cherokee die on the boats?The boats were dirty, and the food the government gave them was not fit to eat. By the time they arrived nearly one-third of the group had died.
  • How long was the walk to the new Indian Territory and how long did it take them?The walk was 700-800 miles and it took some 6 months to walk it.
  • Why did many Cherokee die on the walk?Many died on the walk due to an early winter that left them with little food.
  • Why is the removal of the Indianscalled the Trail of Tears? It is called the Trail of Tears because so many died on the journey from Georgia to the Western Territory of Oklahoma.