Final answer:
The discovery of gold in Georgia precipitated the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation, despite their legal resistance, ultimately leading to the tragic Trail of Tears.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery of gold in Georgia led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation, a Native American people. Despite various legal efforts, including the landmark cases Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia, which recognized some Cherokee rights, the State of Georgia and President Andrew Jackson pushed for the Cherokee's removal. This culminated in the signing of the Treaty of New Echota by a minority within the Cherokee community. As a result, the federal government and the state of Georgia forcibly removed the Cherokee from their homelands, an event known as the Trail of Tears, where approximately 4,000 Cherokee people died during the long and harsh journey to the designated Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma.