A dark and painful time in American and Chickasaw history

The first group of Chickasaws removed from the Homeland gathered at Sealy's District in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 4, 1837. They left with personal belongings, cattle, horses and slaves.

Indian Removal is one of the most painful experiences in United States history. Chickasaw families were met with starvation, disease, death, among many other hardships along the way, traveling hundreds of miles in extreme cold and heat. It is reported that more than 500 Chickasaw citizens died of dysentery and smallpox. Some scholars believe that the leader Tishominko was among the fatalities, but new research suggests that he died in 1838 within the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, at the age of 80.

Government records state that the Chickasaw people removed to Indian Territory between 1837-1851. However, according to official Chickasaw Nation records, Chickasaw families continued to arrive in Indian Territory up to the 1890s, as evidenced by Chickasaw tribal enrollment in the Dawes Rolls.

Most Chickasaws settled in the western part of the Choctaw Nation near the 98th meridian. Between 1837-1856, the Choctaw Nation became the western boundary of Indian Territory, which extended from the Canadian River to the north, the present-day border of Texas to the west, and the Red River to the south.

Removal Videos

17 Items

The Chickasaws were one of the last southern Indian tribes to sign the treaty of removal—giving them significant advantages.

Removal: Negotiating the Best Possible Conditions

Lona Barrick
The Chickasaws were the last tribe to be removed from their homelands in the 1830s.

Removal-Era Chickasaws Were Unified

Dr. Daniel Littlefield
Dr. Daniel Littlefield explains how Chickasaws remained unified and kept their essential government intact during the removal period.

Last to Remove: Chickasaws Were in Charge

Dr. Daniel Littlefield
While the government allowed 30 pounds of personal property to be taken with each person upon removal, the Chickasaw each averaged 450 pounds.

Chickasaw Removed with 7,000 Horses

Dr. Daniel Littlefield
Unlike other tribes, the Chickasaw weren't forced to sell their livestock. In fact, according to Dr. Littlefield, the Chickasaws brought 7,000 horses.

Removal Begins: Departure for Chickasaw Bluffs

Richard Green, Author & Former Chickasaw Nation Historian
Richard Green describes the four-district, four-captain structure in place as the first group of 4,600 Chickasaws departed their homeland.

The Last Tribe to Remove: Making Oklahoma Home

Dr. Amanda Cobb-Greetham, Director of Native American Studies, University of Oklahoma
The Chickasaws were the last tribe to be removed and spent a great deal of time finding the right place to settle.

Removal: Benjamin Love

Tom Love
Tom Love's forebear, Benjamin Love, was on the commission sent by the federal government to scout out the state of Oklahoma just prior to removal.

Chickasaw Removal: The McCaleb's Story

Neal McCaleb, Ambassador At-Large, Chickasaw Nation
Torn from their homes, businesses and fertile fields in Mississippi, the Chickasaws were pushed west into the wilderness known as Indian Territory.

Chickasaw Removal and Our Indomitable Spirit

Margaret Roach Wheeler
Margaret Roach Wheeler reflects on how the Chickasaws' "unconquerable" spirit helped them to survive in their new homeland.

A Vivid Passage on Proud Chickasaws

Richard Green, Author & Former Chickasaw Nation Historian
Richard Green reads an excerpt from a chronicler’s account from the removal period describing the strikingly beautiful procession of Chickasaws.

Only Chickasaws Left No Remnant Tribe Behind

Dr. Daniel Littlefield
The Chickasaws were determined to get all of the Chickasaws out of Mississippi and Alabama. Some Chickasaws originally stayed behind to raise cotton.

Chickasaw Women Held Positions of Power and Respect

Dr. Daniel Littlefield
The matrilineal structure meant most property belonged to Chickasaw women, not men.

Ruling the Mississippi: Removal-Era Leverage

Jeannie Barbour
Jeannie Barbour relates how the Chickasaws' strategic location and control of key waterways accelerated their development.

"Indian Removal": A Book by Grant Foreman

The Chickasaw Nation
Originally published in 1932, Grant Foreman's "Indian Removal" remains a respected source in the field.

Struggle on Arrival in Indian Territory

Richard Green, Author & Former Chickasaw Nation Historian
Richard Green describes the wilderness and shortages of food and water that awaited the Chickasaws and Choctaws on arrival in their new homeland.

An Army Captain's Account of Desperation and Disease

Richard Green
Tribal historian Richard Green reads an account from U.S. Army captain William Armstrong.

Edmund Pickens: First Elected Chickasaw Chief

Dr. Amanda Cobb-Greetham, Director of Native American Studies, University of Oklahoma
Dr. Amanda Cobb-Greetham describes the great moment of historical transition Edmund Pickens represents.