Stephanie Goff

8 November 2005

Dr. Gagnon

History 4110

GEORGIA’S GREED

Greed comes in different forms. For the conflict between the Cherokee Indians and Georgians of the nineteenth century, it came in the form of gold. The glamour of gold was searched for centuries by the Spaniards, and drove them to have reasonable relationships with the Indians. Some accounts place one Spaniard explorer, de Soto, near Helen, Georgia. He developed a hospitable relationship with the Cherokee’s, but left without ever realizing that he stood on the object of his search, gold. Although the first discovery of gold in Georgia is hard to place, it is known that the Cherokees were aware of and were mining the gold before the major discovery by the white men. After the major discovery of the gold in 1828- 29, the State of Georgia with the help of the presidency, pushed the Cherokees to move away from the state and embark on the Trail of Tears. ²

Prior to the removal, the Cherokee had lived a life that mostly consisted of farming and hunting. The positions of men and women consisted of their class. The lower classes lived in traditional log homes and were not usually involved in the government, while the upper classes lived near the villages especially the capital of New Echota.³ The population of this capital rose and fell during different times of the year. This was most likely due to the flux of people that came to meetings or various events throughout the year.

Different Indian nations had different ways of dealing with the new settlers. Most were hostile, some switched sides to even fight their own and yet others changed their complete society to blend and mix with the new European culture and ideas that flowed into their homelands. The Cherokees changed. They changed their way of life,

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government and religion just to be accepted as “civilized” by the new colonist. Was this change to better the Cherokee’s or to be able to nudge them out of the North Georgia Mountains a little more? The change appears to be thoughtful of the Indians. What better than to give each man and woman a job to tend to. A man needs to farm and on his free time hunt to sustain his family and a woman needs to take care of the household activities of cleaning, managing the children and during harvesting time help the husband farm. This is not evil; it is just like the white European jobs. But this is not what the Cherokee’s were used to since the roles of man and women were reversed. Prior to the “civilization” program, men were to hunt and women were to farm. But this was not acceptable to the new settlers and civilization was called for.

The Cherokee’s made another large lifestyle change. They began to own slaves. This was very uncommon for most of the Indian tribes but the Cherokee’s began this because of European push to do so. The new settlers owned slaves, so the Cherokee’s must do the same. Their dwellings were made to be more stationary because each family owned their own piece of land to farm on. The clothing and dresses of both the men and women in the Cherokee nation began to look more like the European dress rather than the moccasins made of animal skin. Now that the Cherokees looked civilized could they act this way as well?

By 1826, the Cherokee’s had adapted a new constitution that was modeled after the United States. The year after the constitution was written; they elected a new governing chief, Chief John Ross. Shortly after this they developed a newspaper that was written in both English and the language of the Cherokee. The Cherokee went to

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great lengths to form a new government that was modeled after the United States to ensure that the State of Georgia would be satisfied enough to let them keep their lands. They even went as far as to change their religious beliefs to appear to be more civilized.

The Cherokee’s invited missionaries into their towns to minister about God. But some of these missionaries found it more interesting to help the Cherokees to keep control of their land. The missionaries were going as far as to represent the Cherokee nation of their behalf. With their help the Cherokee towns rose as well as roads, schools and churches.

All of these efforts gave the Cherokees the appearance of being “civilized”, but the State of Georgia still pushed on. The reason for this push was Georgia had recently lost its western lands and was looking to expand into Indian nations and the second was that the rumor of gold was being found in the North Georgia Mountains. Georgia felt that its settlers deserved the gold more than the Cherokee’s. So they began the effort to expel the Cherokees from their land.

The rumor of gold brought many different types of people into the Cherokee nation. There were many whites and Native Americans who were mining for the gold. People started to dwell around the spots of the mining and around the Cherokee villages. Present day Dahlonega was one of those sites. This brought many miners, diggers and thieves. These dwelling often had high records of crime and rowdiness that surrounded the areas. But these areas were not only in the isolated areas of the mountains, but also in the Cherokee towns. The Cherokee’s saw no good in having all of these greedy people crowding their villages and stealing their profits. The next

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step was to appeal to the government and the courts to have the intruders removed. Although the government agreed to do so, they were not very successful in running of the miners and most importantly the thieves from the Cherokee nation.

The governor of Georgia, George Gilmer, was tossing the ideas about conducting a land lottery for the Cherokee nation. He thought that it would be safer if the Cherokees moved out west and developed their lands out their But while they were still there, Gilmer had the responsibility to watch over and protect the Cherokee lands. But when weighed against the revenue that the gold could bring in for the state, he thought relocation would be best for both the dependent nation and the state of Georgia.

Governor Gilmer then began to receive the support that he asked for in his letters to the Assembly. He was looking to gain full control of the Indian Territory and most importantly it’s gold. This came in the form of a proclamation. This proclamation stated that all of the Cherokee lands were considered a part of Georgia; therefore, all mining from both the Cherokee and the intruders was to stop immediately.

Around this same time a new president, President Andrew Jackson, had gained control of the United States. Jackson earned his fame from his previous dealings with other Indian tribes, like the Creek. His actions and ideas were to have all Indians moved to the West. Therefore he passed the Indian Removal Act, which ensured that all Indian tribes will be moved to a location in Oklahoma. Governor Gilmer contacted Jackson and told him about the dilemma that was occurring with the mining in the now Georgia enforced lands. Jackson agreed to remove the federal troops from Georgia.

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After the state laws were passed, Gilmer requested that the troops be sent back to guard the mines in Georgia. This added more wood to the fire because many intruders could only watch while the Cherokees dug for their gold. Along with all of the miners, the missionaries were also kicked out from the state of Georgia. This went along with the same law that removed some of the miners. This law promised to bring up to four years in a Georgia state prison.

These famous laws were called the “anti- Cherokee laws”. These laws were set into place for the protection of Georgia not for the protection of the “savages subsisting upon roots, wild herbs, disgusting reptiles”, according to one Georgia congressman.

With the hatred for the white citizens of Georgia, some Cherokees sided with the White-path Rebellion that started with the Creek or ‘Red Stick’ Indians. Many were disregarding all of the improvements they had made in the previous years because it only happened from the presence of the white man. They disregarded the good of Christianity, white culture and the new laws that were set in place to bring ordinance to the Cherokee nation. This movement was soon squashed by the Principal Chief and the Cherokee were soon on the path to find justice for themselves among a nation that recognized its dependence to the United States was its weakness.

With these new laws in place, the surveying of the Cherokee property began. The land was divided into 160-acre lots for land and 40-acre lots for mining of gold. These lots were set in place for a lottery system. This lottery was open only to the white citizens of Georgia. They estimated the value of the land even noting the improvements that some Cherokee’s had made to their lifestyle. They noted the log

GEORGIA’S GREED

homes, barns, sheds and tools. They were supposed to receive payment for all of the improvements that they made to the land, since it was about to be auctioned off from under their feet.

The Cherokee did take action against the intruders and the way the government handled the temporary removal of the intruders and the soon to be permanent removal of the Cherokee. The Cherokee, with the help of a missionary, Worcester, took their case all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Worcester in the case of Worcester vs. Georgia, but nothing happened. Due to the checks and balances of our newly created government, no one branch of government has ultimate power; therefore, without the help of the executive branch, the judicial branch could not enforce their ruling. The executive branch, in the control of Andrew Jackson, was not about to help Cherokees. So there was no way of stopping the inevitable action of removal.

A new governor now took office in the state of Georgia. Wilson Lumpkin’s belief was that if Georgia did not take over the Cherokee lands, the Cherokee would not be able to hold off the number of people that would come to mine for gold. This was true, but the state of Georgia and the federal government could have helped the Cherokee with keeping their land safe and not claim control over their land. But with the greed of Georgia and the hatred of the federal government, the governor started the lottery. The number of chances you had depended on if you were a widow, orphan or veteran. Each received more chances than a single household. The only stipulation was

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that the gold lots required that the winners stay in Georgia for a minimum of three years after the lottery.

As the luster of gold mining continued to grow, so did the towns that existed around the large gold mines. County lines were in the beginning stages and large towns like that of Dahlonega and Auraria were beginning to be placed on maps. Other towns that started to grow due to the gold growth were Clarksvile and Gainesville.

While all of this was occurring the Cherokee nation was starting to spilt apart. The majority followed Chief John Ross and his ideas of resistance by all means less than violence. The rest followed the Treaty Party which consisted of Major Ridge, his son and Elias Boudinot, the editor of the Cherokee Phoenix. They all believed that removal was inevitable and that the road that led to less hurt and pain was the road of negotiation. Major Ridge sent a proposed delegation to Washington to negotiate a removal treaty.

All the while Georgia continued to push the Cherokee’s into removal. John Ross sent another delegation to Washington to continue his protest about the situation. President Jackson then offered the Cherokee Nation, through the leadership of John Ross, a total sum of three million dollars to peacefully pack their bags and relocate to the new lands that were set aside for them in the Mid- West. Ross refused this offer and the Treaty Party turned their backs on him for the remainder of the negotiations.

This refusal led the Treaty Party to have secret meetings that included negotiations with the state of Georgia and the United States regarding removal. The hold John Ross had on his people became weaker because he needed to flee to

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Tennessee, because the land and gold hungry citizens of Georgia wanted to claim their lands that they won in the lotteries. Soon all of the winning Georgians would claim their lands throughout the Cherokee territory.

On December 29, 1835, following many failed attempts of pushing any removal treaty through, United States government negotiators met with some Cherokees including the treaty party to negotiate one last time with the Cherokee’s. While John Ross was in Washington protesting the removal, the Treaty Party was meeting the United States negotiators. They met in the capital city of the Cherokee’s, New Echota. There the Treaty Party signed a treaty of total removal from the lands of Georgia. They were not authorized to sign a treaty with the United States. In fact, it was illegal for any Cherokee to sign a treaty with any white man because of the past bad deals that were encountered. Many of these treaties dealt with the succession of land. The Cherokee government needed to put a high price on signing illegal treaties with white men and that punishment was death.

The entire process of this treaty was illegal; first it was not a representation of the majority of the Cherokee’s wants and wishes of their land. Second, the Principle Chief, John Ross, was not there to sign the agreed document. Third, many knew that signing this treaty did not mean that the United States government needed to comply, but it did mean that the Cherokee government needed to comply with the acts of removal.

In all actuality, the outlines of the removal did not seem that bad. The United States offered to give the Cherokee transportation to their new homelands; they were

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gracefully given two years to pack their bags and meet at a place to be picked up by boat or wagons. They were also offered five million dollars for damage to their estate. Although it was very doubtful that they would ever see any of this money.

This treaty ended the long battle between an independent and dependent nation. This did not mean that life became easier for the Cherokees. No in fact, they refused to move from their homelands to their new lands. They waited the entire two years, which they were allotted to pack, and kept the normal routines of life. But when the date came to succeed their land, according to the illegal treaty, federal troops went door to door collecting families and bringing them to the camps. Most had no time to gather their clothes or bring blankets; they were rushed outside with only the clothes on their backs.

Coming right behind the Cherokee’s were the looters and the land lottery winners. Their houses were ransacked and the lottery winners found houses that were ready to live in. It was near harvesting time when the Cherokee’s were evacuated so most people found fields of crops ready to harvest. They left behind their livestock and all of their tools for the lottery winners.

After about two months in the camp, that was infamous for allowing the spread of disease and starvation, they embarked on a journey that would kill nearly half of its citizens, the Trail of Tears. There were no wagons or escorts waiting for them. They needed to leave in the winter which caused more death and disease. Plus there was no five million dollar check waiting for them at the end of their journey.

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As for Georgia, the gold rush did not last for long. It tapered off shortly after it had begun. This could be due to the western gold rush that occurred in California in the

late 1840’s. Even though the gold rush ended in Georgia, the Dahlonega mint still brought in thousands of dollars in gold during its peak. But the Cherokee lands did not go to waste after the gold rush. There were plans for a railroad that would connect the north with the south and bring Atlanta into existence. Through the mining, canals, dams and hydraulic power were built in the North Georgia Mountains bringing a more habitual space for the white Georgians.

Greed can sometimes add fuel to the fire. This is what occurred in the Cherokee lands. Rumors of gold spread throughout the country and hundreds flocked to see the truth. Georgia and the United States took this opportunity and gained control of the Cherokee nation. Even though many Cherokee’s died for what seems to be an unworthy cause, Georgia actually profited greatly from the expulsion of the Cherokee’s. When the gold rush ended, the railroad fortune began and is still running today. Important mountain towns came into existence from the gold rush, like that of Dahlonega. Even today you can see tourist traps that will allow you to pan for gold in the North Georgia Mountains. Even with all of the profits and ‘good’ that came out of the removal; it is still a historical event that Georgia is ashamed to look back on.

ENDNOTES

1. Robert J. Conley, The Cherokee Nation (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2005)

2. David Williams, The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty Niners, Cherokees and Gold Fever (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1993)

3. Theda Perdue and Michael Green, The Cherokee Removal: A Brief History with Documents Second Edition (Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2005)

4. John Ehle, Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation ( New York: Anchor Book, 1988)

5. Perdue

6. Perdue

7. Perdue

8. William G. Mcloughlin, After the Trail of Tears: The Cherokees’ Struggle for Sovereignty 1839-1880 (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press)

9. Perdue

10. Louis Filler, The Removal of the Cherokee Nation: Manifest Destiny or National Dishonor? (Boston: D.C Heath and Company, 1962)

11. Cherokee Phoenix and Indians’ Advocate, 24 February 1830, Vol II, no. 45, P. 3

12. Williams

13. Williams

14. Filler

15. Ibid

16. Ibid

17. Ibid

18. Conley

19. Conley

20. Perdue

21. Williams

22. Williams

23. Perdue

24. Duane H. King, The Cherokee Indian Nation: A Troubled History (Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1979)

25. Ibid

26. Conley

27. Ibid

28. Ibid

29. Ibid

30. Perdue

31. Perdue

32. Williams

BILIOGRAPHY

Conley, Robert J., The Cherokee Nation. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico

Press, 2005.

Ehle, John, Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. New York:

Anchor Books, 1988.

Filler, Louis, The Removal of the Cherokee Nation: Manifest Destiny or National

Dishonor? Boston: D.C Heath and Company, 1962.

King, Duane H., The Cherokee Indian Nation: A Troubled History. Knoxville: The

University of Tennessee Press, 1979.

Mcloughlin, William G., After the Trail of Tears: The Cherokees’ Struggle for

Sovereignty 1839-1880. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.

Perdue, Theda and Michael Green, The Cherokee Removal: A Brief History with

Documents Second Edition. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2005.

Williams, David, The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty Niners, Cherokees and Gold Fever

.Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1993.