One of the most heartbreaking events in United States history occurs while Andrew Jackson presides in office, the Trail of Tears. During the Trail of Tears, thousands of Native Americans are forced off of their land and travel westward into ominous land. Thousands die on the despairing march knows as the Trail of Tears. Consequently, the United States of America receive all of the land east of the Mississippi River. The Trail of Tears impacts both Native Americans, and the United States.
In 1814, Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, “authorizing the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders.” The minority of Native Americans reluctantly comply with Jackson’s …show more content…
Since most of the Native Americans stayed within the time frame Andrew Jackson gave them to leave in, they were forcibly removed at gun point and were not allowed to collect their belongings. Instead, the white men pillaged their villages and took everything the Cherokees had, “Some of the Cherokee left almost naked and without shoes or only in moccasins and refused government clothing because they felt it would be taken as an acceptance of being removed from their homes.” Since the Native Americans are uprooted of everything they have, they decide to comply and head westward. The journey starts in blazing hot summer, with temperatures of 100 degrees or more on a daily basis. The journey takes several months, and those several months are not an easy task. Instead, the journey is arduous and the Cherokee tribe suffer many hardships along the way. Cherokees had two options for transportation going westward, either they went on land, or on water. By going on water, sickness and death rates are mainly caused by, “drought, bad water, poor diet, and physical exhaustion were especially high.” 3 The Land Routes are no easier, the only nice thing about the land routes was they started in fall, so the temperatures were not as ridiculously high on their 1200 mile journey westward. However, they faced the same amount of hardships, just different kinds than those that took the water
In 1814, Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, “authorizing the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders.” The minority of Native Americans reluctantly comply with Jackson’s …show more content…
Since most of the Native Americans stayed within the time frame Andrew Jackson gave them to leave in, they were forcibly removed at gun point and were not allowed to collect their belongings. Instead, the white men pillaged their villages and took everything the Cherokees had, “Some of the Cherokee left almost naked and without shoes or only in moccasins and refused government clothing because they felt it would be taken as an acceptance of being removed from their homes.” Since the Native Americans are uprooted of everything they have, they decide to comply and head westward. The journey starts in blazing hot summer, with temperatures of 100 degrees or more on a daily basis. The journey takes several months, and those several months are not an easy task. Instead, the journey is arduous and the Cherokee tribe suffer many hardships along the way. Cherokees had two options for transportation going westward, either they went on land, or on water. By going on water, sickness and death rates are mainly caused by, “drought, bad water, poor diet, and physical exhaustion were especially high.” 3 The Land Routes are no easier, the only nice thing about the land routes was they started in fall, so the temperatures were not as ridiculously high on their 1200 mile journey westward. However, they faced the same amount of hardships, just different kinds than those that took the water