Timeline Description: The Indian Removal Act took Native Americans from their traditional lands, moving them westward in a brutal and horrifying journey and resettling them west of the Mississippi. Eventually, these actions led to the creation of reservations.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 28, 1785 | Hopewell Treaty Georgia officials and Cherokee Indians agree to the treaty that began the ultimate disposession of Indian land. The treaty, signed in Hopewell, GA, established boundaries for Cherokee hunting grounds and set limitations on culturally significant land. |
| 1791 | Holston Treaty This treaty further set boundaries and eroded Cherokee land rights on non-hunting grounds. The language, including words like cede and relinquish, was particularly specific. Non-Cherokee were also granted rights to a road through Cherokee land. |
| 1802 | Compact of 1802 The Compact of 1802 was an agreement between the federal government and state government of Georgia. The federal government agreed to eliminate the Indian land title and to remove the Cherokees from the state. In return, Georgia ceded claims to specific western lands. |
| 1805 | Lotteries to Distribute Cherokee Lands(1805 to 1833) Between 1805 and 1833, Georgia held some eight lotteries to distribute former Cherokee lands. |
| 1814 | Battle of Horseshoe Bend Andrew Jackson led a U.S. military action against the Creek peoples living in present-day Alabama. The Creeks were defeated and forced to sign a treaty surrendering much of their land. |
| 1817 | Treaty of Cherokee Agency The goal of the Treaty of Cherokee Agency was to further divide the Cherokee people, and progressively continue the goal of taking Cherokee lands for the use of whites in the Georgia region. |
| 1817 | New Cherokee Government(1817 to 1827) Between 1817 and 1827, the Cherokee developed a new government, in part in an attempt to resist the loss of lands. The new Cherokee government was based on the model of the United States. |
| March 3, 1819 | Act Regarding the Civilization of the Indian Tribes In theory, this act was designed to provide education and other services to Native Americans, encouraging them to take on white patterns of behavior and learning. While the intentions may have been rather benign, the end result was that that President had near-unlimited authority over native peoples. |
| 1825 | Monroe Announced Relocation of Indians Monroe announced, in 1825, his belief that all Native Americans should be relocated to unsettled lands west of the Mississippi, freeing up lands on the east coast for white settlers. |
| May 6, 1828 | Treaty of Washington The Treaty of Washington provided incentives to Cherokee who moved west voluntarily, including compensation for lost property and provisions for the move and year following. |
| December 20, 1828 | Georgia Stripped Cherokee of Rights In December 1828, the state legislature of Georgia stripped the Cherokee of legal rights in an attempt to force them to leave the state. |
| May 28, 1830 | Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act authorized the government to negotiate the trade of lands east of the Mississippi for lands west of the Mississippi River. The government was to pay all costs associated with migration. |
| March 18, 1831 | Cherokee Nation v. State of Georgia The decision, by Chief Justice John Marshall in Cherokee Nation v. State of Georgia identified Native American tribes as dependent nations within the United States. They were, therefore, not afforded the protections of the Constitution. |
| 1831 | Choctaw Removal(1831 to 1832) Between 1831 and 1832, the Choctaw were forcibly removed from their lands. They were marched westward, regardless of age or infirmity. |
| 1833 | Removal of Chickasaws and Creeks The Chickasaw and Creeks were forcibly removed from their native lands, and marched westward in 1833. Conditions for the march were quite poor, with many people dying along the way. |
| 1838 | Trail of Tears Began U.S. president Van Buren ordered the U.S. Army into the Cherokee Nation. The army rounded up as many Cherokees as possible into temporary stockades and then marched the captives, led by John Ross, to the Indian Territory. |
| 1839 | Cherokee Act of Union In 1839, the Cherokee united, in an attempt to preserve their rights and work together, rather than remaining separate nations. |
| 1851 | Indian Appropriations Act The Indian Appropriations Act consolidated Native Americans onto designated reservations, freeing up land for westward settlement and the development of the railroads. |