The Impact Of The Trail Of Tears
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Colonial America was once a bountiful community, home to numerous native tribes. As time progressed, America expanded into a home for many other people of different origins. However, the nation changed to particularly cater to white settlers of European descent. Later, Americans fought for their independence from their mother country, Great Britain. After successfully defeating the British, Americans became obsessed with the idea of Manifest Destiny, the idea that God destined white American settlers to expand territorial claims across North America. Unfortunately, in order to accomplish this so-called belief, Native Americans were required to relocate to allow American settlers to expand freely west of the Mississippi River. President Jackson
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government of nearly 20,000 indigenous Cherokee from Georgia to Oklahoma” (Stockdale). The Trail of Tears is described as “the relocation resulted from the government’s removal policy, which sought open eastern lands to European-American immigrants” ("Trail of Tears"). President Jackson “made Indian removal a primary concern of his administration” by removing tribes from their valuable land that was located west of the Mississippi River (Pritzker). Despite initial claims that tribes were simply exchanging their lands for different ones, the effect it had on natives proved otherwise. In fact, it was “only the first stage of a larger and more deadly process toward Native American extinction” (Pritzker). Despite Cherokee resentment toward relocation, these Native Americans were forced “largely by foot or ill-equipped wagon train …[marching] through a harsh winter with little food, clothing, or shelter. Even small children and elderly were subjected to this method” …show more content…
The Cherokee community refused to relocate to Oklahoma and as a result were placed in “temporary detention camps” where they suffered “through the hot, sweltering Southeastern summer, and diseases began to spread among them, including dysentery, measles, and whooping cough. Some 2,000 died” (Stockdale). This shows how much the Cherokee community suffered before they even began their forced march. Later on, “the remaining 18,000 men, women, and children began a six-month, 1,000-mile journey to the alien lands of Oklahoma” (Stockdale) despite what was promised from the Treaty of New Echota. Tribes “lack[ed] adequate food, shelter and clothing, two thousand died on the journey, succumbing to exposure, disease and exhaustion”
government of nearly 20,000 indigenous Cherokee from Georgia to Oklahoma” (Stockdale). The Trail of Tears is described as “the relocation resulted from the government’s removal policy, which sought open eastern lands to European-American immigrants” ("Trail of Tears"). President Jackson “made Indian removal a primary concern of his administration” by removing tribes from their valuable land that was located west of the Mississippi River (Pritzker). Despite initial claims that tribes were simply exchanging their lands for different ones, the effect it had on natives proved otherwise. In fact, it was “only the first stage of a larger and more deadly process toward Native American extinction” (Pritzker). Despite Cherokee resentment toward relocation, these Native Americans were forced “largely by foot or ill-equipped wagon train …[marching] through a harsh winter with little food, clothing, or shelter. Even small children and elderly were subjected to this method” …show more content…
The Cherokee community refused to relocate to Oklahoma and as a result were placed in “temporary detention camps” where they suffered “through the hot, sweltering Southeastern summer, and diseases began to spread among them, including dysentery, measles, and whooping cough. Some 2,000 died” (Stockdale). This shows how much the Cherokee community suffered before they even began their forced march. Later on, “the remaining 18,000 men, women, and children began a six-month, 1,000-mile journey to the alien lands of Oklahoma” (Stockdale) despite what was promised from the Treaty of New Echota. Tribes “lack[ed] adequate food, shelter and clothing, two thousand died on the journey, succumbing to exposure, disease and exhaustion”