Which act authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River, signed in 1830?

• A. Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
• B. Dahlonega Gold Rush
• C. Indian Removal Act (1830)
• D. Trail of Tears

Answer: (C)

The main idea is understanding a federal policy that moved Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to lands west of the Mississippi. In 1830, Congress passed and the president signed the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the relocation of tribes living east of the Mississippi to Indian Territory farther west. This law set the official pathway for forced removals that many tribes endured, which is why the later trials and marches are linked to this policy. The other options don’t fit: a Supreme Court ruling in the 1830s limited European-American interference with tribal sovereignty but didn’t authorize removal; a gold rush is about mining activity in Georgia and isn’t about relocation policy; and the Trail of Tears refers to the journeys and suffering during the removals, not the law itself.