What event led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians from their land in the 1830s?

The event that led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians from their land in the 1830s was the Indian Removal Act. This Act, signed into law by President Andrew Jackson in 1830, authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties to relocate Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States to designated "Indian Territory" west of the Mississippi River.

While the Georgia Gold Rush indeed heightened tensions and spurred desires for land among settlers, it was not the direct legislative action that resulted in the forced removal. The Trail of Tears refers specifically to the horrific journey taken by the Cherokee after their removal, during which thousands suffered and died due to harsh conditions. The Three Governors Controversy was a political conflict that occurred in Georgia during the 1940s, unrelated to Native American relocations.

Understanding the Indian Removal Act is crucial because it illustrates the legal and political mechanisms that were utilized to dispossess Native Americans of their land, leading to events such as the Trail of Tears. This deepens the historical context surrounding the struggles faced by the Cherokee and other tribes during this period.