IntroductionThe Cherokee Indians thrived for thousands of years in the southern part of the continent we now call the United States. They learned to cultivate the land, hunt and fish. When the settlers arrived they were a peaceful, self-sufficient people. As the new inhabitants arrived, the Cherokees soon taught them to farm, hunt, and fish. “By the 1820s, many Cherokees had also adopted some of the cultural patterns of the white settlers” (National Park Service, n.d.). In 1827, two leaders of the Cherokee Nation created a constitution based primarily on the U.S. Constitution. “Just as Major Ridge and John Ross were planning the future of New Echota and an educated, well-governed tribe, the state of Georgia increased pressure on the federal government to release Cherokee lands for white settlement” (National Park Service, n.d. ). Once gold was discovered in Georgia, white settlers could not resist owning the land for themselves at any cost. Andrew Jackson believed that civilized white settlers would use the land better than uncivilized Indians. The Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chicasaw, and Seminole Nations were considered “The Five Civilized Tribes”; despite this they were thought to be savages. “Jackson's attitude toward Native Americans was patronizing and condescending: he described them as children in need of guidance and believed that the removal policy was beneficial to the Indians” (PBS Online, n.d.). He believed he would guide them to a better life by placing them on designated land where they could roam with the buffalo they hunted and be free from harassment. “In 1830, just a year after taking office, Jackson pushed through a new piece of legislation called…half the paper…edKidwell, C.S. (September 2003). The effects of removal on American Indian tribes. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from National Humanities Center: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/indianremoval.htmNational Park Service. (n.d.). The Cherokee Nation in the 1820s. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from the National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/118trail/118facts1.htmPBS Online. (n.d.). Indian Removal. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from Africans of America: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.htmlTeach US History. (n.d.). The Cherokee Nation in the 1820s. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from the National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/118trail/118facts1.htmU.S. History. (2014). Foundations of American Government. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from US Government: http://www.ushistory.org/gov/1c.asp