A group of Cherokees led by John Ridge negotiated the Treaty of New Echota . Ridge was not a widely recognized leader of the Cherokee , and this document was rejected by some as illegitimate . Another faction , led by John Ross , unsuccessfully petitioned to protest the proposed removal . The Cherokee largely considered themselves independent , and not subject to the laws of the United States or Georgia . The treaty was enforced by Jackson 's successor , Van Buren . Subsequently , as many as 4,000 out of 18,000 Cherokees died on the " Trail of Tears " in 1838 . More than 45,000 American Indians were relocated to the West during Jackson 's administration , though a few Cherokees walked back afterwards or migrated to the high Smoky Mountains . The Black Hawk War took place during Jackson 's presidency in 1832 after a group of Indians crossed into U.S. territory
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Andrew Jackson