Georgia Gold
"In 1829, prospectors discovered gold in north Georgia on land
that the Cherokee had long controlled. This new-found wealth was a
major reason that whites demanded the eviction of the Cherokee. By
1830, the Georgia gold strike was producing over 300 ounces of gold
a day. That same year, the Congress of the United States passed the
Indian Removal Act. The Cherokees fought the removal laws in the
Supreme Court and established an independent Cherokee Nation. In
1832, the Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee with Chief Justice
John Marshall declaring that the Cherokee Nation was sovereign and
the removal laws invalid. President Andrew Jackson defied the
decision of the court and ordered the removal."
Source: The Price Of Freedom; Americans at War.
(National Museum of American History, Behring Center.)
Authority: Act of December 21, 1830; Act of December 24, 1831
Year of Drawing: 1832
Counties
The original Cherokee Indian territory became Cherokee County by an Act
of December 26, 1831. A law passed on December 3, 1832, divided original
Cherokee County into ten counties: Cass (renamed Bartow), Cherokee,
Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, and Union. In
the drawing of tickets and in the granting of the land, the area was
treated only as Cherokee territory. It was divided between land lots
distributed by the sixth land lottery and gold lots that were
distributed by the seventh land lottery.
Sections and Land Districts
- The territory was so expansive that Cherokee County was divided
into four sections, and each section was divided into districts.
There were a total of 60 land districts, and each was divided into
land lots. Fractional lots of 100 acres and more were counted as
whole lots.
First Section
Districts 6-10, 16-19.
Second Section
Districts 4-14, 20, 22-27
Third Section
Districts 5-16
Fourth Section
Districts 4-15, 18-19
Size of Land Lots
Grant Fee
Person Entitled to Draw
- Bachelor, 18 years or over, 3-year residence in Georgia, citizen
of the United States 1 draw
- Married man with wife and/or minor son under 18 and/or unmarried
daughter, 3-year residence in Georgia, citizen of United States 2
draws
- Widow, 3-year residence in Georgia 1 draw
- Wife and/or child, 3-year residence in Georgia, of husband
and/or father absent from state for 3 years 1 draw
- Family (one or two) of orphans under 18 years, residence since
birth in state 1 draw
- Family (three or more) of orphans under 18 years, residence
since birth in state 2 draws
- Widow, husband killed or died in Revolutionary War, War of 1812,
or Indian Wars, 3-year residence in Georgia 2 draws
- Orphan, father killed in Revolutionary War, War of 1812, or
Indian War 2 draws
- Wounded or disabled veteran of War of 1812 or Indian Wars,
unable to work 2 draws
- Veteran of Revolutionary War 2 draws
- Veteran of Revolutionary War who had been a fortunate drawer in
any previous lottery 1 draw
- Child or children of a convict, 3-year residence in Georgia 1
draw
- Male idiots, lunatics or insane, deaf and dumb, or blind, over
10 years and under 18 years, 3-year residence in Georgia 1 draw
- Female idiots, insane or lunatics or deaf and dumb or blind,
over 10 years, 3-year residence in Georgia 1 draw
- Family (one or two) of illegitimates under 18 years, residence
since birth in Georgia 1 draw
- Family (three or more) of illegitimates under 18 years,
residence since birth in Georgia 2 draws
Persons Excluded
- Any fortunate drawer in any previous land lottery who has taken
out a grant of said land lot.
- Any person who minedor caused to be minedgold, silver, or
other metal in the Cherokee territory since June 1, 1830.
- Any person who has taken up residence in Cherokee territory.
- Any person who is a member of or concerned with a horde of
Thieves known as the Pony Club.
- Any person who at any time was convicted of a felony in any
court in Georgia.
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