Cherokee relocation

Students will use primary sources to investigate the boundaries of the Cherokee lands set for North Carolina after the Revolutionary War.

A lesson plan for grades 8–10 Social Studies

By Donna Hernandez

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Related pages

• Native American music: Two North Carolina tribes: In this lesson plan, students will listen to songs from two North Carolina tribes. Students will learn about the music through listening, analyzing, singing, moving, and playing instruments.
• A walk of betrayal: The Trail of Tears: In this lesson plan for fourth and fifth grade students will read various resources and watch videos about the Cherokee. They will trace the history of the Cherokee, discuss the outcomes of the impact of the white man, and determine how that intrusion led the Cherokee to the Trail of Tears. The students will examine the survival of the Cherokee and explore their accomplishments into the 21st century.
• Along the Trail of Tears: A part of history is often forgotten when teaching younger students. This is the relocation of the Cherokee Indians when the white settlers wanted their property. The US Government moved whole groups of Indians under harsh conditions. This trip became known as the Trail of Tears. Using this as a background students will explore and experiment with persuasive writing as they try to express the position of Cherokee leaders.

Related topics

• Learn more about American Indians, American history, Cherokee Indians, North Carolina, diplomacy, geography, history, relocation, resettlement, and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will read early government treaties that forced the Cherokee off their land and will use those treaties to illustrate the changes in the boundaries of Cherokee land.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

One class period

Materials/resources

• Blank maps of the Southeastern United States — one per student
• Copies of the Treaty of 1817 — enough for half the students in the class
• Copies of the Treaty of 1819 — enough for half the students in the class
• Access to a map of Cherokee land
• Computers or devices with internet access (optional)
• Interactive white board or multimedia projector connected to a computer (optional)

Activities

1. Give half the students in the class a copy of of the Treaty of 1817, and give the other half of the class a copy of the Treaty of 1819. Alternatively, you can have them access these documents on individual computers.
2. Have students read their treaty and highlight or make note of any mention of land claims.
3. Next, give each student a copy of the blank map of the Southeastern United States. Students should try to locate the locales mentioned in the treaties and label them on their blank maps.
4. Allow students to share their highlighted texts orally with a partner who read a the other treaty.
5. Ask students, along with their partner, to choose one color and shade all of the territory lost due to the Treaty of 1817. Then using a second color, students should shade additional territory lost due to the Treaty of 1819.
6. Either provide a map of the original Cherokee land area to students or project one on the white board. Have the students include this information in their maps. Remind students to create a map key to show what all the colors mean.
7. Guide students in sharing their maps with the rest of the class and address any inconsistencies that may arise during this discussion.

Assessment

Conduct a class discussion after the map activity. Students may be assessed based on contributions to the class discussion. Alternatively, have the students write a response describing the treaties and their major points. Also, students may write about the language of the treaties and any inequity they uncover.

Supplemental information

Possible extensions

1. This activity can be done with small pieces of construction paper (punched out with a single hole punch) and then pasted onto a blank map with a single color used for each different state and the ocean. Don’t forget to have students create a key.
2. Have students conduct more research about how some of the Cherokees responded to these treaties as well as what happens to the tribe over time.

Related websites

Report and Resolution of a Joint Committee of the Legislature of North Carolina

This primary source, from Documenting the American South, may provide additional insight into the interactions between the government of North Carolina and the Cherokee Nation.