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The Trail of Tears

The Cherokee Nation had first contact with the Europeans in the 1500s, although they did not trade with them until the 1700’s. The Cherokee people had developed and progressed for over a thousand years before contact with the white man. Most lived in the states of Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and some in parts of Kentucky and Alabama. As the white became more prominent in numbers their movement west expanded. The Cherokee ceded some sects of land in return for trade goods. They adopted many of the European customs and ways of living and many intermarried with the white settlers. They lived in cabins and on plantations, built roads, schools, churches, and even formed a representational government. By the early 1800’s the Cherokee were far from savages. They were farmers, ranchers, businessmen, teachers, etc… A Cherokee named Sequoyah even developed a Cherokee alphabet called “Talking Leaves.” This led to the Cherokee publishing their own independent newspaper. In the early 1800’s many of the Cherokee felt the building of resentment in their white neighbors some started to migrate further west. Gold was discovered in northern Georgia and this intensified the whites desire to control Indian lands. In 1817 a group of Cherokee called “the Old Settlers” were given land in Arkansas with hopes that many others would follow. They again formed a government and established their peaceful co-existence with the whites, but this was short lived. In 1830 President Andrew Jackson passed the “Indian Removal Act.” He was supported by Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. The opposing side also included many prominent men such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Davy Crockett. These great men struggled to save the Cherokee from attempted genocide, but even Davy Crockett lost to the greediness of the corrupt politicians of the time. He resigned from Congress, leaving for Texas. Cherokee opposition to the removal was led by Chief John Ross, a mixed-blood of Scottish and one-eighth Cherokee descent. In 1838 the removal of the Native Americans was started. Close to 3,000 Cherokees were rounded up in the summer of 1838 and loaded onto boats that traveled the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas Rivers into Indian Territory. Federal troops herded these people into prison camps. There they sat awaiting their fate. In the winter of 1838-39, 14,000 were marched 1,200 miles through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas into rugged Indian Territory. Many estimate that over 4,000 died from hunger, exposure to the harsh elements and diseases. The white settlers who witnessed the Cherokee moving west were blind to the injustice. Some offered help, but most turned a blind eye. This journey is remembered as “The Trail of Tears.” We would like to encourage parents and teachers to give further study to the history of the Native Americans. There are many books and websites dedicated to the subject.

The Cherokee Nation (Western Band) Official Website

The Cherokee Nation (Eastern Band) Official Website

A Tribute to a Native American Ancestor

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