In December 1838, President Martin Van Buren informed Congress that the Cherokee Nation had been entirely removed to new homes west of the Mississippi, presenting the policy as a successful resolution of a long-standing controversy. Van Buren, who succeeded Andrew Jackson as the eighth president of the United States, oversaw the removal during his presidency. An estimated 4,000 Cherokee died as a result, and after arriving in Indian Territory, the Cherokee began the long and ultimately successful process of rebuilding their lives while continuing to preserve their cultural traditions.