Which movement increased tension over land and resources leading to the Trail of Tears?

The movement that significantly increased tension over land and resources, ultimately leading to the Trail of Tears, is the Gold Rush. The discovery of gold in the early 19th century, particularly in Georgia, created a massive influx of settlers who sought to claim lands that were previously inhabited by Native American tribes. This rush for gold led to the acceleration of policies aimed at the removal of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, as the U.S. government prioritized the economic desires of the white settlers over the rights and stability of Native American communities.

The Gold Rush spurred a nationwide obsession with wealth and land acquisition, fostering a belief that expansion was not only a right but a necessity for progress. This mindset contributed to the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which resulted in the forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans along the Trail of Tears.

While other options like the Yazoo Land Fraud and the Cotton Economy did have significant impacts on land disputes and resource allocation, they did not catalyze the same level of urgency and mobilization towards westward expansion that characterized the Gold Rush era. The Yazoo Land Fraud involved corruption and illegal land sales but did not directly lead to the same kind of mass influx that resulted from the Gold Rush. The Cotton