Manifest Destiny was a belief that white Americans were God's chosen people, selected by Him to
spread the United States from the East to the West Coast, Andrew Jackson, a famous "Indian fighter,"
was elected President in 1828, largely on his pledge to move Indian tribes westward to allow the
advance of white civilization. Feeling bold by Jackson's stance, state legislators in Georgia passed laws
that abolished the Cherokee government, invalidated Cherokee laws, and created a lottery system by
which white Georgians could legally take Cherokee homes and land. In 1830, Congress passed the
Indian Removal Act, allocating funds to forcibly remove Native Americans from the Southeast to lands
west of the Mississippi River. This tragic event is referred to as the Trail of Tears. Over 10,000 Native
Americans died during removal or soon upon arrival in Indian Territory.
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