Trail Of Tears Research Paper

Before the beginning of the Trail of Tears in 1838, nearly 125,000 Native Americans lived across the East coast of the US. Native Americans inhabited millions of acres of land across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. By the time White Europeans encountered Native Americans, they had already developed a complex society. This society was built on intricate languages, alphabets, number systems, and other numerous means of communication. However, During and after the trail of tears it was a widely and strongly implicated myth that Native Americans were mentally inept, and virtually incapable of creating such a society. False propaganda was heavily used against Native Americans. Native Americans were labeled

wild and cruel, and people referred to them as savages. This propaganda was used by political parties to instill fear in the public, and to taint the views' of settlers on Native Americans. From this propaganda, emerged the "Indian Problem". Aside from the instilled fear, another motive that fueled White Europeans' need to rid of Native Americans was land. White Europeans wanted Native American land to grow cotton, which was widely profitable during the time. These White Europeans advocated against the simple civilization of Native Americans, and they pushed to have them removed entirely. This ignited the maltreatment of Native Americans. Native American homes were set on fire and looted, women were raped, and men, women, and children alike were murdered or taken to what were essentially concentration camps. President Andrew Jackson did nothing to aid Native Americans, but rather he initiated the Trail of Tears. By 1840, thousands of Native Americans were forced from their sacred land and forced to travel hundreds of miles across the Mississippi River. The Trail of Tears was difficult and often times fatal. The Trail of Tears did not end until 1839, when Native American land was practically diminished.