Answer:
The correct answer is D. The Georgia militia began attacking Cherokee towns after gold was discovered on Cherokee land in Georgia.
Explanation:
The tension between Georgia and the Cherokee Nation led to a crisis with the discovery of gold near Dahlonega in 1829, which led to the first gold rush in the history of the United States. Hopeful speculators of gold began to invade the Cherokee lands, and began to pressure the government of Georgia to displace the natives.
When Georgia wanted to extend state laws on Cherokee tribal lands, the matter reached the Supreme Court of the United States. The ruling in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831), the Marshall Court ruled that the Cherokees were not a sovereign and independent nation, and therefore refused to hear the case. However, in Worcester v. State of Georgia (1832), the Court ruled that Georgia could not impose its laws in Cherokee territory, since only the national government - and not the state governments - had authority in Indian affairs.
