Oklahoma History Native American History in Oklahoma 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which five tribes are collectively known as the 'Five Civilized Tribes' of Oklahoma?
- Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole (Correct answer)
- Cherokee, Osage, Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache
- Choctaw, Chickasaw, Delaware, Shawnee, and Quapaw
- Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, Pawnee, and Ponca
Correct answer: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole
The Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminole—were relocated from the southeastern U.S. to Indian Territory.
Question 2: The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed by which U.S. President?
- Andrew Jackson (Correct answer)
- John Quincy Adams
- Martin Van Buren
- James K. Polk
Correct answer: Andrew Jackson
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, authorizing the forced relocation of Native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River.
Question 3: The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation to Indian Territory is known by what name?
- The Trail of Tears (Correct answer)
- The Long Walk
- The Bitter Trail
- The Great Removal
Correct answer: The Trail of Tears
The forced relocation of the Cherokee and other tribes to Indian Territory is called the Trail of Tears, during which thousands died from exposure, disease, and starvation.
Question 4: Which Cherokee scholar created the Cherokee syllabary in the early 19th century?
- Sequoyah (Correct answer)
- John Ross
- Stand Watie
- Major Ridge
Correct answer: Sequoyah
Sequoyah (also known as George Guess) created the Cherokee syllabary around 1821, enabling the Cherokee to become literate in their own language within a few years.
Question 5: The Treaty of New Echota in 1835 controversially ceded Cherokee lands in the southeast. Who signed it on behalf of the Cherokee?
- The Treaty Party, led by Major Ridge (Correct answer)
- Principal Chief John Ross
- The Cherokee National Council
- Sequoyah and tribal elders
Correct answer: The Treaty Party, led by Major Ridge
The Treaty of New Echota was signed by a minority faction called the Treaty Party led by Major Ridge, not by the elected Cherokee government under John Ross.
Question 6: During the Civil War, most of the Five Civilized Tribes initially aligned with which side?
- The Confederacy (Correct answer)
- The Union
- They remained strictly neutral
- Different tribes split evenly
Correct answer: The Confederacy
Most of the Five Civilized Tribes, many of whose leaders held enslaved people and had southern cultural ties, initially signed treaties with the Confederacy.
Oklahoma History Native American History in Oklahoma 1
Which five tribes are collectively known as the 'Five Civilized Tribes' of Oklahoma?