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marked through the Appalachians, overland routes were developed
The Louisiana Purchase (1803) increased pressures on th Indians	to permit the building	of roads	and	the opening	o
waterways	through their territory. With the increasing westwar
migration	of settlers, the four tribes of Indians were quick t
realize the problems facing them. They had three choices: t adapt to	the ways of -the white man and live among the
peacefully; to allow themselves	to be driven	from, the land
which they had held for centuries; or to fight. Georg Washington appointed agents to each of the different tribes t act as	intermediaries between the	Indians and	the	government,	t
protect	them from corruption by	supervising	their relations	t
whites, and tq> promote their civilization by instructing them i agriculture and craftsmanship. The	Indians were	not	allowed t
buy whiskey from the whites, and the whites were not allowed t live among the Indians without permission from the agents, or t buy land	from the Indians. Of all, the Cherokees most readil
took to the ways of	the white man. They adjusted throug
education and industry, taking up agriculture and as early a 1796 learning to spin and weave cotton. Later they built roads saw mills, and cotton	gins. The Chickasaws	and	Choctaws
through somewhat less advanced than the Cherokees, absorbd what civilization they could and remained friendly with the settlers Only the Creeks were hostile and independent.
Until 1802, the area between 32 degrees north latitude an the Tennessee line was still claimed by Georgia, and by Indians At that time Georgia	relinquished	her claims	to	the Unite
States, and Congress was able to include this area in th Mississippi Territory, although most of it was still subject t Indian titles.
Now that the National Government had jurisdiction over th enlarged Mississippi Territory, treaties were negotiated wit the various Indian tribes whereby lands, particularly in th areas with large white populations, were ceded to the Unite States. The first cession, in 1801, was for the Natche District,	followed by cessions by the Choctaws in 1802 and 180
of areas along the Tombigbee. In northern Alabama, in 1806, th Cherokees ceded present day Madison County. Gradually, over th years, the Indians were forced to cede their lands, until 183 when they had no more land to	cede.
With land being opened	for settlement	by	treaties with	th
Indians, in 1806 Congress appropriated funds to build two roads which were continuations of established routes through th Mississippi Territory. One	road started	in	Philadelphia,	an
continued through Pittsburg,	Lexington,	and	on to Nashville.
The new road connecting Nashville and Natchez was called th Natchez Trace. The other road, called the Federal Road, alS' started in Philadelphia, continuing through Baltimore Washington, Fredericksburg, Salisbury, Greenville, and Athens It was later extended to New Orleans by way of the Tombigbe<


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