History of the cherokee trail of tears

The 'Indian Problem'

White Americans, particularly those who lived on the fascination frontier, often feared and resented the Native Americans they encountered: To them, American Indians seemed to be an unfamiliar, unfamiliar people who occupied land stroll white settlers wanted (and reputed they deserved).

Some officials occupy the early years of honourableness American republic, such as Top dog George Washington, believed that probity best way to solve that “Indian problem” was to easily “civilize” the Native Americans. Goodness goal of this civilization push was to make Native Americans as much like white Americans as possible by encouraging them convert to Christianity, learn squeeze speak and read English explode adopt European-style economic practices much as the individual ownership worldly land and other property (including, in some instances in nobleness South, enslaved persons).

In nobleness southeastern United States, many Chahta, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek and Iroquoian people adopted these customs near became known as the “Five Civilized Tribes.”

But the Native Americans’ land, located in parts persuade somebody to buy Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, was valuable, near it grew to be additional coveted as white settlers powerless the region.

Many of these whites yearned to make their fortunes by growing cotton, point of view often resorted to violent effectuation to take land from their Indigenous neighbors. They stole livestock; burned and looted houses ground towns; committed mass murder; current squatted on land that outspoken not belong to them.

Worcester utterly.

Georgia

State governments joined in that effort to drive Native Americans out of the South. A number of states passed laws limiting Innate American sovereignty and rights see encroaching on their territory.

In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), class U.S. Supreme Court objected divulge these practices and affirmed digress native nations were sovereign hand-outs “in which the laws delineate Georgia [and other states] gaze at have no force.”

Even straightfaced, the maltreatment continued.

As Headman Andrew Jackson noted in 1832, if no one intended concerning enforce the Supreme Court’s rulings (which he certainly did not), then the decisions would “[fall]…still born.” Southern states were diagram to take ownership of Asiatic lands and would go give an inkling of great lengths to secure that territory.

Indian Removal Act

Andrew Jackson had wriggle been an advocate of what he called “Indian removal.” Whilst an Army general, he challenging spent years leading brutal campaigns against the Creeks in Sakartvelo and Alabama and the Seminoles in Florida–campaigns that resulted pointed the transfer of hundreds quite a few thousands of acres of agriculture from Indian nations to chalkwhite farmers.

As president, he lengthened this crusade. In 1830, of course signed the Indian Removal Point, which gave the federal direction the power to exchange Native-held land in the cotton country east of the Mississippi work land to the west, infringe the “Indian colonization zone” guarantee the United States had obtained as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

This “Indian territory” was located in present-day Oklahoma.

The handle roughly required the government to navigate removal treaties fairly, voluntarily near peacefully: It did not coincide the president or anyone added to coerce Native nations snag giving up their ancestral belongings. However, President Jackson and climax government frequently ignored the symbol of the law and difficult Native Americans to vacate effects they had lived on look after generations.

Trail of Tears

In greatness winter of 1831, under menace of invasion by the U.S. Army, the Choctaw became greatness first nation to be expelled from its land altogether. They made the journey to Amerindian Territory on foot (some “bound in chains and marched paired file,” one historian writes), take up without any food, supplies takeover other help from the command.

Thousands of people died in the lead the way. It was, distinct Choctaw leader told an Muskhogean newspaper, a “trail of affront and death.”

The Indian-removal process enlarged. In 1836, the federal deliver a verdict drove the Creeks from their land for the last time: 3,500 of the 15,000 Creeks who set out for Oklahoma did not survive the trip.

Treaty of New Echota

The Cherokee subject were divided: What was glory best way to handle probity government’s determination to get neat hands on their territory?

Heavy wanted to stay and oppose. Others thought it was improved pragmatic to agree to quit in exchange for money standing other concessions.

In 1835, a sporadic self-appointed representatives of the Iroquoian nation negotiated the Treaty worldly New Echota, which traded gust of air Cherokee land east of interpretation Mississippi — roughly 7 bundle acres — for $5 trillion, relocation assistance and compensation will lost property.

To the combined government, the treaty (signed providential New Echota, Georgia) was marvellous done deal, but a manhood of the Cherokee felt betrayed. Importantly, the negotiators did yell represent the tribal government valley anyone else. Most Cherokee human beings considered the Treaty of New-found Echota fraudulent, and the Iroquoian National Council voted in 1836 to reject it.

John Ross

“The instrument in question is band the act of our nation,” wrote the nation’s principal primary, John Ross, in a character to the U.S. Senate remonstration the Treaty of New Echota. “We are not parties fulfill its covenants; it has mewl received the sanction of doing people.” Nearly 16,000 Cherokees autographed Ross’s petition, but Congress favoured the treaty anyway.

By 1838, unique about 2,000 Cherokees had heraldry sinister their Georgia homeland for Amerindian Territory.

President Martin Van Buren sent General Winfield Scott talented 7,000 soldiers to expedite goodness removal process. Scott and troops forced the Cherokee chomp through stockades at bayonet point extent his men looted their accommodation and belongings.

Then, they marched the Indians more than 1,200 miles to Indian Territory.

Whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, cholera ground starvation were epidemic along greatness way. Historians estimate that ultra than 5,000 Cherokee died primate a result of the journey.

Legacy of the Trail of Tears

By 1840, tens of thousands acquire Native Americans had been compulsory off of their land hem in the southeastern states and nominal to move across the River to Indian Territory.

The yank government promised that their in mint condition land would remain unmolested in perpetuity, but as the line own up white settlement pushed westward, “Indian Country” shrank and shrank.

Ordinary 1907, Oklahoma became a roller and Indian Territory was advised lost.

A 2020 decision by picture Supreme Court, however, highlighted uninterrupted interest in Native American militia rights. In a 5-4 elect, the Court ruled that a-okay huge area of Oklahoma quite good still considered an American Soldier reservation.

This decision left the do up of Oklahoma unable to summon Native Americans accused of crimes on those tribal lands — only federal and tribal injure enforcement can prosecute such crimes.

(A later 2022 Supreme Dreary decision rolled back some supplies of the 2020 court finding.)

The Trail of Tears — de facto a network of different travel ormation technol — is over 5,000 miles long and covers nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma celebrated Tennessee. Today, the Trail receive Tears National Historic Trail interest run by the National Go red in the face Service and portions of gathering are accessible on foot, through horse, by bicycle or vulgar car.

Sources

Trail of Tears.

NPS.gov.
Trail clever Tears. Museum of the Iroquois Indian.
The Treaty of Another Echota and the Trail remind Tears. North Carolina Department hold Natural and Cultural Resources.
The Pulsation That Forced the Cherokee Mass from Their Homelands Goes image View. Smithsonian Magazine.
Justices code swath of Oklahoma remains genetic reservation.

Associated Press.
Justices limit 2020 ruling on tribal lands hem in Oklahoma. Associated Press. 

Citation Information

Article Title

Trail order Tears

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/trail-of-tears

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 26, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009