Who were the Five Civilized Tribes?

The Five Civilized Tribes is a term that has been used to refer to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians in Oklahoma since 1866. They were called "civilized" because they had assimilated into American settler culture, developed economies with white people, adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and some even owned slaves. These tribes were challenged by a U.S. government that did not respect Indian property rights. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized the westward movement of Europeans by relocating Indian tribes to unsettled land west of the Mississippi River. This forced removal came to be known as the Trail of Tears because of the death and hardship that characterized it.

Why were they called the 'Five Civilized Tribes'?

The term "Five Civilized Tribes" has been used to refer to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians in Oklahoma since at least 1866. The term civilized was applied to these tribes because they had developed economic ties with whites or had assimilated into American settler culture . Some members of these southeastern tribes adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and even owned slaves. In 1821, the Cherokee developed a written language, and by 1828, the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper, began publication. The Cherokee also established a strong central government with a constitution based on the U.S. Constitution.

Which Native American nations made up this group?

The Five Civilized Tribes included the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole . The term "civilized" was applied to these tribes because they had assimilated into American settler culture or developed economic ties with whites. Some tribe members adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and even owned slaves. These tribes were located in Oklahoma (former Indian Territory). Each organized as a "nation" with a written constitution and laws, and a republican government modeled on that of the U.S.

How did these tribes interact with European settlers?

The Five Civilized Tribes interacted with European settlers through trade, cultural exchange, and conflict. These tribes, comprising the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole, adopted some aspects of American settler culture, including clothing, language, and even owning slaves. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to forced removal of these tribes from their lands, despite legal challenges by the Cherokee. This removal, known as the Trail of Tears, resulted in significant hardship and death. Later, the tribes were affected by the American Civil War, with divisions between supporters of the Union and Confederacy. The construction of transcontinental railroads and increased settlement led to the allotment of tribal lands and loss of independence.

What was the impact of the Indian Removal Act on the Five Civilized Tribes?

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized President Andrew Jackson to relocate Indian tribes to land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their territories within state borders, especially in the Southeast. The Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole) were deeply affected, as they were forced to leave their established communities. The Cherokee tried to resist through the American federal court system, but they were ultimately forced out of their homes by the U.S. military. This forced relocation became known as the Trail of Tears due to the immense suffering and death that occurred. Approximately 100,000 indigenous people were forced from their homes, and an estimated 15,000 died during the journey west due to exposure, malnutrition, exhaustion, and disease.

How have the cultures and governments of these tribes changed over time?

The Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole—earned their designation for adopting aspects of American settler culture, such as European clothing, Christianity, and even slave ownership. The Cherokee developed a written language in 1821, followed by their newspaper, Cherokee Phoenix . They also formed a strong central government with a constitution modeled on that of the U.S.. Despite these advancements, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to their forced relocation west of the Mississippi River, known as the Trail of Tears. In the Indian Territory, they maintained autonomy with constitutions, laws, and republican governments, along with public school systems. During the Civil War, the tribes were divided, causing devastation. Later, the U.S. government dissolved tribal lands, allotting them to individual members and opening the area to white settlement. Today, tribal governments continue in modified forms with reduced sovereignty, and tribal members are citizens of Oklahoma and the United States.

Five Civilized Tribes

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Thematic map of the Indian Frontier in 1841, highlighting in pink the regions west of the Mississippi River where various Native American tribes were relocated. Labeled tribes include Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Shawnee, Delaware, Osage, Sauk and Fox, Ottawa, and others, with surrounding territories and neighboring states also marked.

Map of the southeastern United States showing the historical locations of various Indigenous peoples, with tribal names such as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, Natchez, Catawba, and Calusa labeled across the region. A red outline marks the general boundary of the Southeast cultural area, extending from eastern Texas and Louisiana through the Gulf Coast, up to the Atlantic coast and into parts of the Carolinas and Virginia. Major bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico and the Atla

Faded front page of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper from March 6, 1828, featuring English and Cherokee syllabary text in multiple columns under a phoenix emblem.

Portrait of Andrew Jackson by Thomas Sully, showing Jackson with gray hair, a serious expression, and wearing a dark coat over a white shirt against a neutral background.

Infographic map showing the routes of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of five major Native American nations from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory in the 1830s, highlighting 9 states crossed, 5,045 miles traveled, key routes and camps, and major events.

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Date:: c. 1866 - present

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Movement of Native Americans after the U.S. Indian Removal Act Map showing the movement of some 100,000 Native Americans forcibly relocated to the trans-Mississippi West under the terms of the U.S. Indian Removal Act (1830).

Five Civilized Tribes

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Top Questions

Who were the Five Civilized Tribes?
The Five Civilized Tribes is a term that has been used to refer to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians in Oklahoma since 1866. They were called "civilized" because they had assimilated into American settler culture, developed economies with white people, adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and some even owned slaves.

These tribes were challenged by a U.S. government that did not respect Indian property rights. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized the westward movement of Europeans by relocating Indian tribes to unsettled land west of the Mississippi River. This forced removal came to be known as the Trail of Tears because of the death and hardship that characterized it.
1 Britannica Source
1. Five Civilized Tribes
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why were they called the 'Five Civilized Tribes'?
The term "Five Civilized Tribes" has been used to refer to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians in Oklahoma since at least 1866.

The term civilized was applied to these tribes because they had developed economic ties with whites or had assimilated into American settler culture. Some members of these southeastern tribes adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and even owned slaves. In 1821, the Cherokee developed a written language, and by 1828, the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper, began publication. The Cherokee also established a strong central government with a constitution based on the U.S. Constitution.
1 Britannica Source
1. Five Civilized Tribes
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which Native American nations made up this group?
The Five Civilized Tribes included the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. The term "civilized" was applied to these tribes because they had assimilated into American settler culture or developed economic ties with whites. Some tribe members adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and even owned slaves.

These tribes were located in Oklahoma (former Indian Territory). Each organized as a "nation" with a written constitution and laws, and a republican government modeled on that of the U.S.
1 Britannica Source
1. Five Civilized Tribes
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did these tribes interact with European settlers?
The Five Civilized Tribes interacted with European settlers through trade, cultural exchange, and conflict. These tribes, comprising the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole, adopted some aspects of American settler culture, including clothing, language, and even owning slaves.

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to forced removal of these tribes from their lands, despite legal challenges by the Cherokee. This removal, known as the Trail of Tears, resulted in significant hardship and death.

Later, the tribes were affected by the American Civil War, with divisions between supporters of the Union and Confederacy. The construction of transcontinental railroads and increased settlement led to the allotment of tribal lands and loss of independence.
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1. Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains: Intercultural contact
2. Five Civilized Tribes
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What was the impact of the Indian Removal Act on the Five Civilized Tribes?
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized President Andrew Jackson to relocate Indian tribes to land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their territories within state borders, especially in the Southeast.

The Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole) were deeply affected, as they were forced to leave their established communities. The Cherokee tried to resist through the American federal court system, but they were ultimately forced out of their homes by the U.S. military.

This forced relocation became known as the Trail of Tears due to the immense suffering and death that occurred. Approximately 100,000 indigenous people were forced from their homes, and an estimated 15,000 died during the journey west due to exposure, malnutrition, exhaustion, and disease.
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Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How have the cultures and governments of these tribes changed over time?
The Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole—earned their designation for adopting aspects of American settler culture, such as European clothing, Christianity, and even slave ownership. The Cherokee developed a written language in 1821, followed by their newspaper, Cherokee Phoenix. They also formed a strong central government with a constitution modeled on that of the U.S..

Despite these advancements, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to their forced relocation west of the Mississippi River, known as the Trail of Tears. In the Indian Territory, they maintained autonomy with constitutions, laws, and republican governments, along with public school systems. During the Civil War, the tribes were divided, causing devastation. Later, the U.S. government dissolved tribal lands, allotting them to individual members and opening the area to white settlement. Today, tribal governments continue in modified forms with reduced sovereignty, and tribal members are citizens of Oklahoma and the United States.
1 Britannica Source
1. Five Civilized Tribes
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Five Civilized Tribes, term that has been used officially and unofficially since at least 1866 to designate the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians in Oklahoma (former Indian Territory). Beginning in 1874, they were dealt with as a single body by the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the U.S. Department of Interior, but there has never been any unification or overall organization of these tribes under that name.

Distribution of Indigenous peoples of the American Southeast

*Cherokee Phoenix*Front page of the *Cherokee Phoenix*, March 6, 1828. The first Native American newspaper printed in the United States, it utilized the syllabary of the Cherokee language developed in 1821.

The word civilized was applied to the five tribes because, broadly speaking, they had developed extensive economic ties with whites or had assimilated into American settler culture. Some members of these southeastern tribes had adopted European clothing, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and even owned slaves. In 1821 the Cherokee developed a written language, and by 1828 the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper, began publication. The Cherokee also established a strong central government with a constitution based on the U.S. constitution.

U.S. Pres. Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson, oil on canvas by Thomas Sully, 1845; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized Pres. Andrew Jackson to accelerate the westward movement of Europeans by relocating Indian tribes to unsettled land west of the Mississippi River. While the act had explicitly provided for the purchase of land from willing parties, the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole had little desire to leave their established communities to begin anew beyond the frontier. When faced with forced removal, the Cherokee used the American federal court system to press their claims against the state of Georgia. Although the Supreme Court twice ruled in favour of the Cherokee nation, Georgia ignored the ruling, and Jackson is said to have declared privately, “[Chief Justice] John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”

Trail of TearsRoutes, statistics, and notable events of the Trail of Tears.

Challenged by a U.S. government that refused to respect Indian property rights or the rulings of its own judiciary, the so-called Five Civilized Tribes were left with few options. The Seminole waged a prolonged and costly guerrilla war, but most of the tribe ultimately emigrated to the west. The process of forced removal came to be known as the Trail of Tears due to the unnecessary death and hardship that characterized it. The survivors were relocated to large adjoining tracts of land in the eastern part of Indian Territory. Here they maintained a significant degree of autonomy over their internal affairs until 1907. Each organized as a “nation,” with a written constitution and laws, and a republican government modeled on that of the U.S., consisting of an executive department (headed by an elected principal chief or governor), a bicameral legislature, and a judiciary with elected judges and trial by jury. Public school systems were instituted, in part supported by tribal funds and in part provided by Christian church missionaries.

During the American Civil War most tribes were divided between supporters of the Union and the Confederacy, providing soldiers for each army. Their territories were depopulated and devastated. Before this time, and especially following the reorganization of each nation after the war, economic and educational progress was rapid, and distinctive fusions of Indian and Anglo-American cultures developed.

When transcontinental railroads were built through Indian Territory and the settlement of adjoining states increased, the Five Civilized Tribes lost their independence. Between 1893 and 1907 (when Oklahoma became a state) the U.S. government forced the allotment of the tribal lands to individual, enrolled tribal members (including freedmen, former slaves of the Indians) and abrogated the national governments. Former tribal land was opened to white settlement, and many Indian allottees lost their land through unscrupulous practices. The tribal governments have continued in modified form to the present, but with significantly less sovereignty; all tribal members are full citizens of Oklahoma and the United States. The Bureau of Indian Affairs provides some services for enrolled tribal members, but no reservation system is in effect.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.

Five Civilized Tribes

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