what was the indian removal act?

The Indian Removal Act was a law passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. This law authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties with Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to exchange their lands for territories west of the river, primarily in what was called Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The act facilitated the forced relocation of more than 60,000 Native Americans from at least 18 tribes, especially in the southeastern U.S., to new, often less desirable lands west of the Mississippi. This process was marked by significant suffering and death, particularly during the Cherokee removal known as the Trail of Tears. The act was supported by southern politicians and settlers but opposed by Native tribes and some segments of society, including Christian missionaries. The Indian Removal Act is now regarded by many scholars as an example of state-sanctioned ethnic cleansing or genocide due to the coercive and brutal nature of the removals and their devastating impact on Native American communities.