Date: November 15, 2016
Contact: Kim Coons, 423-752-5213x139
Fort Oglethorpe, GA: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to participate in a free, one hour talk exploring the Georgia Land Lottery and its connection to present-day Chickamauga Battlefield. This program will take place on Saturday, November 26 at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 2 p.m.
From 1831 – 1832, The Cherokee Nation, in efforts to keep its much-sought after land out of the hands of the State of Georgia and its squatters, took its fight all the way to the United States Supreme Court. In a landmark case overseen by Chief Justice John Marshall, the Court ruled that the Cherokee Nation was sovereign, yet President Andrew Jackson would not enforce the decision laid out in Worcester v. Georgia. Blatantly ignoring the Court’s ruling, President Jackson and the State of Georgia continued surveying Cherokee land and allotting it to those who “won” the sections during the land lottery. Visit the park to learn about the fight over the Cherokee Nation’s land and how it connects to the battlefield.
For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.
