The Trail of Tears marks the forced relocation of Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States during the 1830s to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). This tragic journey primarily impacted the Cherokee Nation, along with the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes, collectively known as the Five Civilized Tribes. Driven by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the desire for land and resources, including gold, the forced marches resulted in immense loss of life, cultural disruption, and profound suffering. Approximately 100,000 Native Americans were forcibly removed from their homes, and an estimated 15,000 perished during the harsh journey, succumbing to disease, starvation, and exposure. Despite a Supreme Court ruling in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) that upheld Cherokee sovereignty, President Andrew Jackson defied the decision, accelerating the removal process. The event remains a somber chapter in U.S. History, symbolizing a period of systematic ethnic cleansing against Native American nations.
Trail Of Tears
Linked from: Andrew Jackson, Cherokee, Cherokee Nation, Cherokee People, Indian Removal, Indian Removal Act, Indian Territory
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