How did the Supreme Court decision in Worcester v. Georgia and the Indian Removal Act lead to the removal and resettlement of Native American groups?

Question

(4 sentences)

Answer 1

The Supreme Court decision in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) ruled that the state of Georgia could not enforce its laws within the Cherokee Nation's territory, affirming the sovereignty of Native American nations. However, President Andrew Jackson defied this ruling, famously refusing to enforce the court's decision and allowing Georgia to continue its encroachment on Cherokee lands. This disregard for the ruling facilitated the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands to designated "Indian Territory" west of the Mississippi River. As a result, this led to the brutal displacement and suffering of many Native American groups, most notably during the Trail of Tears, as they were forcibly removed from their lands and resettled in unfamiliar territories.