 Although Alabama became a state in 1819, until the 1830s much of northern Alabama was still officially Cherokee territory.However, white settlement in the area increased steadily, coming to a head with the gold rush in the nearby mountains of northwest Georgia.While gold supplies began to dwindle, soon eclipsed by the California Gold Rush, the settlement by white farmers continued and played prominently in the expulsion of Cherokee, Creek and Choctaw nations from the area.