Trail of Tears

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Archeologists say that the Cherokee Indians migrated south from the Great Lakes region around the 15th century. The Cherokee tribe was one of the largest Native American tribes eventually settling and occupying the southeast portion of what was to become the United States. The Cherokee tribe was highly religious and spiritual. They considered warfare to be a polluting act and warriors were required to go thru a purification by a priest before reentering the Cherokee village. Yet in 1830, the Cherokee Indians were forcibly removed from their homeland by the very government the Cherokee Indians had supported during the Revolutionary War. This journey was later called the Trail of Tears. For hundreds of years, the native people of the North America lived in peace. It was in around 1540 that the Native Americans came in contact with explorers and settlers from around the world. It was from that time on, the Native Americans would be required to defend their homeland as their own. During the late nineteenth century, there were as many as one hundred thousand Native Americans moved westward. The Native Americans from five different tribes were removed when Andrew Jackson signed into law The Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Cherokee tribe was the most devastated by this law. This removal of the Cherokee people is considered one of the most horrific acts in our nation’s history. It was called Nunna daul Tsung (Trail Where They Cried) or Trail of Tears. The Cherokee people were a unique and strong community. They held the belief that they should never bow to any other creature. They held a high respect for one another. When they spoke, they spoke one at a time paying careful attention to listening to one another. The Cheroke... ... middle of paper ... ...hite families. The Americans were warned to stay of the Cherokee land, and the houses belonging to the Americans were burned. This was seen as an act of hostility across the states. Then in 1830 congress passed the Indian Removal Act. In response to this act a Cherokee named Aitooweyah wrote this to John Ross, the principle chief “We, the great mass of the people think only of the love we have to our land for…we do love the land where we were brought up. We will never let our hold on this land go…to let it go it will be like throwing away…[our] mother that gave…[us] birth””. The act led to two Supreme Court cases: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia. The outcome of these cases would not be enforced. When asked about enforcing the courts decision President Andrew Jackson said ““John Marshall has made his decision; let him enforce it now if he can””.

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