Ridge , his family , and many other Cherokee emigrate to the West in March 1837 . The treaty had been signed in December 1835 and was amended and ratified in March 1836 . Georgia put Cherokee lands in a lottery and auctioned them off before the Cherokee removal date ; settlers started arriving and squatting on Cherokee-occupied land . Georgia supported the settlers against the Cherokee . After 1838 , the US government forcibly rounded up the remaining Cherokee ( along with their slaves ) on tribal lands . They were the last people to make the journey that became known as the " Trail of Tears , " during which nearly 4,000 Cherokee died
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Major Ridge