D
The discovery of gold in Dahlonega, Georgia, during the 1830s played a significant role in the removal of the Cherokee from their homelands. The gold rush attracted a large influx of settlers to the region, many of whom were eager to obtain the valuable resource. As settlers moved onto Cherokee land in search of gold, tensions escalated between the Cherokee and the settlers. This ultimately contributed to the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which authorized the forced removal of Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, from their ancestral lands. The discovery of gold in Dahlonega was a catalyst for this displacement.