The Indian Removal Act, passed in 1830, paved the way for the systematic relocation of these tribes. It was during this period that the Cherokee removal in 1838—often considered the most infamous and final forced relocation east of the Mississippi—occurred. This event was largely triggered by the discovery of gold in Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1828, which sparked the Georgia Gold Rush. The prospect of wealth led state officials and settlers to covet Cherokee land, ultimately resulting in the forced march to the newly designated "Indian Territory" in what is now Oklahoma.