Take the Money and Move
John Ridge
Cherokee Nation
Treaty illustration John Ridge and members of his family led a minority faction who argued that removal was inevitable and sought to negotiate the best deal possible. In 1835, Ridge signed the Treaty of New Echota, selling all of the Cherokee land for $5 million. In 1838, sixteen thousand members of the Cherokee Nation were forced to move to Oklahoma. Thousands died en route and soon after arrival. This becaome known as the Trail of Tears. Many Cherokees believed Ridge's signing of the treaty was treason. He, his father, and a cousin were killed by unknown assailants in 1839. Today, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has more than 317,000 citizens.
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