Chief John Ross, who was the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation during the 1830s, wanted to protect the rights and lands of the Cherokee people in the face of forced removal by the United States government. He opposed the Indian Removal policy, particularly the enforcement of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the infamous Trail of Tears. Chief John Ross's primary goal was to resist the removal and secure the rights of the Cherokee Nation to remain on their ancestral lands in Georgia. His efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, as the U.S. government forcibly relocated the Cherokee Nation to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) against their will.