The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by
Andrew Jackson in 1830. In direct violation of a treaty signed in 1791, the Indian Removal Act authorized the forced removal of 12,000
Cherokee from their ancestral homes in
Georgia.
The Cherokee tried to resist through legal channels, including a petition. Davy Crockett lost his office opposing the Act. In the end, the 12,000 people were force marched to Oklahoma in 1838.
4,000 people died on the trek, which came to be known as The Trail of Tears. Especially the aged and the very young fell victim to cholera, measles, starvation and exposure.
See also:
The Five Civilized Tribes
Atrocities against Amerindians
Atrocities by Amerindians