While the Indian Removal Act made the relocation of the tribes voluntary , it was often abused by government officials . The best-known example is the Treaty of New Echota . It was negotiated and signed by a small fraction of Cherokee tribal members , not the tribal leadership , on December 29 , 1835 . While tribal leaders objected to Washington , DC and the treaty was revised in 1836 , the state of Georgia proceeded to act against the Cherokee tribe . The tribe was forced to relocate in 1838 . An estimated 4,000 Cherokees died in the march , now known as the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Cultural assimilation of Native Americans