Gold Rush Spurs Cherokee Removal

The nation’s first major gold rush began in 1828 when gold was discovered in the North Georgia mountains near present-day Dahlonega. Town populations grew by thousands as gold mining erupted throughout Cherokee Territory. Tensions heightened as gold seekers pushed for access to Cherokee tribal lands, increasing pressure for Cherokee removal. Shortly after the discovery of gold, the Georgia State Legislature laid claim to most of the remaining Cherokee Territory, voiding federal laws and regulations. Despite a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Cherokee people in 1832, President Andrew Jackson refused to protect Cherokee rights and property. Harassment and illegal seizures of land led some Cherokee to accept the Treaty of New Echota, exchanging land in Oklahoma for Cherokee Territory in the Southern Appalachians. Few Cherokee accepted the trade, and so most were forcibly removed by armed troops. More than 4,000 Cherokee died from hunger, exposure, and disease on the march west, now known as the Trail of Tears.

Georgia · United States