Research Paper: The Trail of Tears and Native American Displacement

This essay delves into the Trail of Tears, a significant and tragic event in American history, focusing on the forced relocation of Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee, from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to areas west of the Mississippi River. It discusses the historical context, including the expansionist policies of the U.S. government, the impact of figures like Andrew Jackson, and the socio-economic factors that led to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The essay further explores the experiences of the Cherokee people, their attempts at assimilation, the discovery of gold on their lands, and the legal battles they fought to retain their territory. It also details the hardships endured during the forced march, the deplorable conditions in internment camps, and the significant loss of life. The essay concludes by acknowledging the Trail of Tears as a national historic trail, a memorial to those who suffered and died during this period of displacement, with references to various sources that provide further information on this pivotal event.

Essay

Table of Contents
Trail of Tears ....................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

Trail of Tears
MAIN BODY
In the early 19th century, united states was threaten by other countries such as Spain and
UK. These countries was held the land in the west continent. In addition to this during the
mentioned scenario America were also looking got the more land more expanding their territory
by creating a new region. Thomas Jefferson offered to development of a buffer zone between the
European and U.S holdings. The main aim of the mentioned holdings is to develop the region
which should be known as an eastern American Indians. Through such plan the expansion of the
American should be adhere in the new colonies nearby the Mississippi River. In addition to this
during the 1816 and 1840, the tribes created their colonies in derived original state which
includes several places like Choctaws, creeks and Seminoles, and Cherokees. All these lands
were offered to the U.S nationalist by having the inclusion of 40 treaties through which t he
mentioned places lands were ceding to U.S (What Happened on the Trail of Tears? 2020).
During the 1829, Andrew Jackson which was the president of that mentioned time
indulged their efforts and practises in order to create the more effective polices in order to
relocate the east Indian in the derived colonies. In between the 1830 and 1850, during the
mentioned time period vast number of Americans were live in the Florida, Louisiana and
Michigan which later on shift in the west after the government of US has signed the treaties.
During the mentioned scenario various citizens has raised their voice and resit the signed treaties.
For managing these situation the government of U.S. Used the power of U.S. Against those
people. Due to such reason a blood bath situation were raised In which around 3500 creeks were
died brutally in the Alabama during their westwards journey. Moreover to safeguard the people
the transportation were later on performed in the chains in order to offers them security to some
extent.
According, to the historical data ans stats the Cherokees communities were occupied the
vast area in the region of southeaster states. With the European settlers, the mentioned
communicability increased their communities by intermarried with them. Moreover by the use of
their skills and agricultural techniques they turned the European customs into an agricultural
economy. In addition to this, due to the mentioned practice in 1721 to 1819, around 90% of land

were occupied by the other people. By the 1820s, syllabary introduced the culture of literacy in
the respected economy as well as formed the systematised government legislation system In
which all the rules and regulation of working bodies were in the written form. By their efforts a
written constitutions were developed by the mentioned community which later on played one of
the crucial role in the evolution of the community in order to enhance the literary rates, also
assist in performing all the economic function in more systematic manner.
In the 1830 the Indian removal act was passed, at this time, gold was found from the
Cherokee lands. Due to the interception of the georgia, Cherokees were not in the authority to
perform the tribal business, contracts, mine for gold etc. due to all these issues the Cherokee filed
the lawsuits in the U.S. Supreme court in against the Georgia. In addition to this, the minority
felt that it was futile to continue to fight. One of the main reason of signing the mentioned treaty
is to safeguard their minor community within the united states. Moreover ,only 300 to 500
Cherokee were presented at that time in which some of the repetitiveness were elected as
officials the Cherokee nation. All the signed treaty, has enforced all the Cherokee territory to the
east of the Mississippi to the U.S. In the exchange of the mentioned practice around $5million
and new homeland were offered to these people in the Indian territory. At that time, around
15000 of Cherokees started protest in regard to the illegal treaty. The policy of new Echota was
implied thorough the help of U.S. Senate, through the implication of just one vote (What
Happened on the Trail of Tears? 2020).
The mentioned community did not think that they will e forced to leave their lands
forcefully from their territory. In may 1838, several militants and federal troops were started
their moves in the opposite of the Cherokees. Due to such scenario the mentioned community
faced the various brutal activities such as elders were threaten on the gunpoint. White looters
were ransacking the properties of Cherokees after they ran away from their lands. Due to such
mascot, peoples leaved their territory by taking the river route. In addition to this, due to low
level of eater in the river make more difficulties for these troopers to get the right direction for
their travel. Number of families moved towards the west in the mid 1830s, many of the
community were forced by the military to leaves their homes. All are placed in the camps and
behave with them, like they are migrants. By the respected reason large number of people has
loosed their lives due to illness and no proper treatment facilities in he deployed camps. During
the mentioned journey around one out five were lose their life due to illness or drought. Due to

such reason, the mentioned community requested to postponed their removal until the fall.
Moreover, the delay was granted by the government by enforcing the laws. In the mentioned law
all these people should remain in internment campus until their travel resumed (The Indian
Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, 2022).
The individuals were indulged In the groups in which each thousand were form a group.
Hence, these practises created the 12 groups. These groups trudging 800 miles in the west.
During their journey various climatic hurdles were faced by the Cherokees such as trapped in the
ice bound Ohio. Several people were got ill by drinking the stagnant water. The , mentioned
information were collected by the survivors that faced the mentioned problem during those harsh
times. One of the survivor has shared the experiences, as he told how his father got into the
diseases and lost their life. He also told that mother, after that my five brothers and sisters died
due to the diseases. The survivor travelled a lot in order to find the new land for making their
new dynasty. It felt bad to leave the old nation forcefully. In the whole process no one knows
how many of them died. The trip was very had for all the people but specially for infants,
children and the elders. Missionary doctor elizur butler, which offers their skills and knowledge
in order to saves the people from the diseases said around one fifth of the Cherokees population
has died, which is around 4000.
In the year of 1987 the U.S. Congress ha deploy the efforts in order to designated the trail
of tears as the national historic trail. The main reason of doing this practice is to memorized
those peoples which during the removal (Trail of Tears, 2022).

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Online
What Happened on the Trail of Tears? 2020. [Online] Available
through:<https://www.nps.gov/trte/learn/historyculture/what-happened-on-the-trail-of-tears.htm>
Trail of Tears, 2022 .[Online] Available through:<https://www.britannica.com/event/Trail-of-
Tears>
The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, 2022.[Online] Available
through:<https://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/indian-removal-act-and-trail-tears/>