Georgia's Gold Rush and Land Lottery

This map details the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation and some key sites under its jurisdiction between the years 1820 and 1868.

The rush to prospect for gold in north Georgia began in 1829 after this notice appeared in a Milledgeville paper. Once word spread, miners and fortune-seekers began to trespass on Cherokee land in search of the precious metal.

Dahlonega, the town at the center of the Georgia gold rush, took its name from the Cherokee world for yellow or golden -- talonega.

Ten years after the nation's first gold rush came to Dahlonega, the United States Mint established a branch there in 1835. The mint's opening coincided with the removal of the Cherokee from their ancestral land.

In April 1838, the first five-dollar coins, dubbed half eagles, were finally minted. By 1861, the mint had produced over $6 million in gold coins.

From 1800 to 1833, Georgia conducted eight rounds of land distribution, called lotteries. Four lotteries were held after the discovery of gold in north Georgia.

Under the lottery system, surveyors divided Cherokee land into square lots of 160 acres each. The seizure and distribution of Cherokee land was made legal by the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Andrew Jackson.

Surveyors assessing Cherokee territory in 1831 noted that "this interesting tract of country contains four millions three hundred & sixty six thousand five hundred & fifty four acres, many rich gold mines & many delightful situations & though in some parts mountainous, some of the richest land belonging to the state."

Georgians who wanted to acquire land through the state lotteries had to register at the county courthouse. Their names were then written on a ticket and placed in a barrel. Available land lots were numbered, and those numbers were written on individual tickets and placed in a separate barrel.

A state official simultaneously drew a name and a lot number. Those receiving land in the lotteries were known as "fortunate drawers." The state then issued that person a deed to the land. Over 18,500 "parcels" of Cherokee land were granted to settlers during the lottery period.

The Chief John Ross House is located in Rossville, Georgia, and was the home of John Ross until his forced removal by the United States Army in 1838.

The site is central to the history of the surrounding town and even to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Local lore holds that the John Ross House was the first school, business, and post office in the area.