This was a court case argued before the US Supreme Court about whether or not Georgia state laws could force the Cherokee to move out of Georgia. This excerpt is taken from Chief Justice John Marshall’s decision on the case.
Excerpt:
The Cherokee nation, then, is a distinct community, occupying its own territory, with boundaries accurately described, in which the laws of Georgia can have no force, and which the citizens of Georgia have no right to enter, but with the assent of the Cherokees themselves, or in conformity with treaties, and with the acts of congress. _________________________________________________________________________________________
Citation: Marshall, J. & Supreme Court Of The United States. (1832) U.S. Reports: Worcester v. the State of Georgia, 31 U.S. 6 Pet. 515. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep031515/. Accessed 28 August 2023.
Questions
- What does the excerpt say regarding the status of the Cherokee nation?
- Who could give authority for Georgia citizens to enter Cherokee territory?
- Why would that matter based on what you know about the Indian Removal Act (1830) and President Jackson’s message to Congress?
