Indian Relocation Act

One historical event that did not really affect this particular area of our nation is the Indian Relocation Act of 1830. This particular piece of legislation had drastic effects on the Oklahoma region, however. To this day, the scars from entire nations being ripped from their homeland and relocated into the American Southwest can still be felt.

The whole thing started in 1802 in Georgia. The federal government struck an agreement with Georgia that Georgia could have the land that belonged to the Cherokee nation in exchange for some of its western land. In 1803, Jefferson attempted to persuade the Cherokee nation to settle in the newly-acquired West. Unsurprisingly, the local Native Americans overwhelmingly decided that they would not give up their homeland.

In the 1820s, gold was discovered in Georgia. With a growing white population in the state, Georgia was clamoring for the native lands even more than previously. It was determined by the Federal government that an even exchange, eastern land for western land, was the most fair deal. Andrew Jackson, elected as president in 1828, informed the Cherokees that they had no constitutional means of resistance, and that moving was inevitable. A small party comprised of members of the Cherokee Nations elected to negotiate the terms of a treaty for moving the tribes from the east to the west. This was primarily done without the consideration of the actual wants and desires of the rest of the concerned parties.

The 1830 Indian Removal Act authorized the use of funds to encourage Native Americans to move to the West. Jackson and his supporters took this as carte blanche to force these peoples out of their homelands. Though the Supreme Court recognized the sovereignty of the First Nations, the executive branch did not, forcing thousands of people to trek across the country to new land, land they did not want. In 1838 the infamous “Trail of Tears” commenced, as armed soldiers forced Cherokee people to the Oklahoma region.

Oklahoma history is irrevocably tied to Native American History. The entire land that is now Oklahoma used to be known as “Indian Territory.” Even this land, given to the Native Americans, was shrunk as oil was discovered and the land became valuable. The history of Oklahoma is the history of Native Peoples being wronged by their white invaders. These scars can still be felt in Oklahoma, particularly in towns that are located near reservations. Though this history is passed, it is most definitely not forgotten.

Source:  http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=IN015

http://www.okhistory.org/research/airemoval.php