Question

What appeal did Cherokee peoples make before the U.S. Supreme Court in Cherokee

Nation v. Georgia?
A. Cherokee peoples were U.S. citizens who were entitled to the same rights
under the Constitution.
B. Cherokee peoples were a sovereign nation not subject to state or federal
jurisdiction
C. Cherokee peoples could not be forced to leave their land without being paid
fairly in return.
D. Cherokee peoples were residents of Georgia and were subject to laws
protecting personal property.

Answer 1

In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, the Cherokee appealed to the Supreme Court asserting their status as a sovereign nation, thereby challenging the jurisdiction of state and federal laws over them.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, the Cherokee peoples made the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court that they were a sovereign nation and thus were not subject to state or federal jurisdiction. This case arose from Georgia's attempts, including the creation of various laws and a specialized police force, the Georgia Guard, aimed at forcing the Cherokee from their land after a gold discovery in 1829. Former attorney general William Wirt, representing the Cherokee, argued that they constituted an independent nation and that Georgia laws aimed at ousting them were invalid. However, the Supreme Court in 1831 found the Cherokee to be a 'domestic dependent nation' but noted that they did not meet the criteria for being a foreign nation. As such, while not sovereign, they were entitled to their ancestral lands and protected from forced removal according to existing treaties and the laws of the United States.