Western Governors University (WGU) GEOG1312 D199 Introduction to Physical and Human Geography Practice Exam

The Treaty of New Echota is significant because it involved the cession of Cherokee land under contentious and misleading circumstances. This treaty was negotiated in 1835 by a small group of Cherokee leaders who were not representative of the majority of the tribe. They agreed to surrender their land in exchange for compensation and the promise of relocation to present-day Oklahoma. However, this agreement was made without the consent of the official Cherokee Nation, leading to widespread controversy among the Cherokee people.

The U.S. government moved forward with the treaty despite strong opposition, which ultimately resulted in the forced removal of the Cherokee in what is famously known as the Trail of Tears. This wrongful cession exemplifies how treaties were often used to dispossess Indigenous peoples of their lands in a manner that disregarded traditional governance and treaties’ ethical underpinnings. The actions surrounding the Treaty of New Echota highlight the broader context of U.S. expansion and the difficult relationships between the government and Native American tribes during that period.