The Cherokee Indians had lived in northwest Georgia, but in the 1800s many whites begin to settle there. Georgia believed the state had the right to this land because it was within the borders of Georgia, but the Cherokee Indians had lived there for centuries and felt they had a right to the land. Many Cherokees adapted a more American lifestyle and some became plantation owners or store owners. The Cherokee Nation also created a constitution that was similar to the Constitution of the United States. The Cherokee believed they would have a stronger right to the land by adapting American ways. They also believed they could be considered equal if they adapted since Thomas Jefferson had once said that Indians could become equal to white people.
