The Cherokee Nation today is an active leader in education, housing, vocational training, business, and economic development. It is the second-largest Indian tribe in the United States, with more than 300,000 tribal citizens.
Essential Facts
Existed hundreds of years before initial European contact
Lived throughout the southeastern part of the United States
Was encroached upon by prospectors after gold was discovered
Sued the state of Georgia over their land rights in Worcester v. Georgia; won the case, but President Andrew Jackson refused to enforce the ruling
Was forced to march more than 1000 miles along the Trail of Tears
