Treaty of New Echota

The Treaty of New Echota, signed in 1835, was an agreement between the U.S. government and a faction of the Cherokee Nation. It ceded Cherokee lands in the southeastern United States for compensation and promised land in present-day Oklahoma. The treaty was highly controversial as it was not supported by the majority of the Cherokee people. Its ratification in 1836 led to the forced removal of thousands of Cherokees, an event known as the Trail of Tears. This treaty symbolizes the tragic impact of U.S. expansion on Native American rights and sovereignty.