| The Cherokee Trail of Tears
(1825-1850) Between 1825 and 1850 the Cherokees experienced much upheaval and social change. Ultimately the Cherokees would be removed from their ancestral homeland and would divide into the Ridge and Ross factions. They were forced to move west and lost one quarter of its' people on the infamous "Trail of Tears". (See Map at very bottom of page) The "Trail of Tears" was a forced removal of at least twenty thousand Cherokee Indians. The exact number of Cherokees is not known. In 1838, the US government moved them from their homelands in the mountain valleys of Appalachian Georgia and the Carolinas to western Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Cherokee call this trail Nunna-da-ul-tsun-yi, meaning "The Place Where They Cried." Traveling through bad weather and without proper clothing, at least 4,000 Cherokee died on the trail. At the beginning of the Nineteenth century, the Cherokee Nation occupied and held land titles in the Appalachian valleys of Georgia and the Carolinas. At the same time, white immigrant communities were encroaching and voicing increasing resentment of the Cherokee property holds. Pressure increased when a gold strike occurred in northern Georgia. Many whites decided that it was time for the Indians to leave their farms, homes, and lands. In 1817, a Cherokee group called "Old Settlers" moved to western lands given them in Arkansas. There they reestablished their native government and a peaceful way of life. However, this Old Settler group was later moved on to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). In 1802, Thomas Jefferson indicated his support for removal of Indians to western territories. Following President James Monroe's recommendation in his final address to Congress, President Andrew Jackson signed the 1830 Indian Removal Act. Opposition protests came from Senators Daniel Webster and Henry Clay and others. Reverend Samuel Worcester, a missionary to the Cherokees, challenged in court Georgia's attempt to abolish Indian claims to land titles. The Worcester vs. Georgia (1832) case went to the Supreme Court and argued the constitutionality of the Removal Act. Worcester won this court battle and Cherokee's rights of land ownership were upheld; however, Jackson and the US Government continued efforts for their removal. In 1835 the Treaty of New Echota was signed by a "Treaty Party" of about 100 Cherokees. In this agreement, Cherokees gave up all claim to lands east of the Mississippi River in exchange for land in the Indian Territory and the future promise of money, livestock, tools, and other provisional support. This treaty signing and the subsequent removal led to bitter factionalism within the Cherokee Nation and the eventual deaths of many of the Treaty Party leaders. Regardless of the opposition and disagreements of the Cherokee, Georgia and the US Government's viewpoint prevailed and the New Echota treaty was used to justify their removal. In the summer of 1838, the US Army began enforcement of the Removal Act. (See Map at very bottom of page) Cherokees were rounded up and temporarily held in stockades. 3,000 Cherokees were loaded onto boats to travel the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi Rivers, and on to the Arkansas into Indian Territory. Over 14,000 other Cherokee remained in the prison camps until the winter of 1838-39. Then they were marched 1,200 miles through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas to their new home. The Cherokee endured torrential rains and other inclement weather conditions, inadequate food and water, and lacked proper clothing. It is estimated that at least 4,000 died of starvation, exposure, and disease. See Pages 2 3 Home | Poemas | Reflexiones | Recetas | Color del Amor Nuestras Lagrimas | Colorea-Para Niños Subscribirse | Loteria | Navidad | Potpourri y Recursos Copyright - Disclaimer- Legal - Privacy Copyright©2002-2012 Derechos Reservados www.sarakali.com- All Rights Reserved El uso de este sitio web implica la aceptación de los Términos y Condiciones Copyright-Library of Congress *Best viewed with a resolution of 1024x768 - Explorer 8 |
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