Trail of Tears Day of Note: On this date in 1835 the Treaty of New Echota was signed. The vast majority of the tribe wanted to stay put and supported Ross. But around 100 men-- including Phoenix editor Elias Boudinot and his brother Stand Watie, 100 in a tribe of 16,000-- met at Boudinots house in New Echota and signed a treaty with the US government. They had no authority to do this. Called the Treaty of New Echota, it relinquished all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi in exchange for land in the West. They figured, Georgia was already seizing Cherokee land, this might be the only way the Cherokee could get something for it. John Ross, whom the Georgia militia arrested so that he could not protest, was stunned. He accused the treaty party of treason. The rest of the 16,000 Cherokee signed a petition calling the treaty invalid and illegal. Congress ratified the treaty by only one vote, despite impassioned pleas on behalf of the Cherokee by Senators Henry Clay and Davy Crockett. The tribe was given three years to remove themselves to the West. (excerpt) —Amy and Sarah Vowell for This American Life
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 03:47:16 +0000
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