The Trail Of Tears: The Indian Removal Act Of 1830

The Trail of Tears was a forced journey that took place for about 125,000 Native Americans from 1831-1838. These Native Americans were from different states in the Southern United States such as: Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina. The Trail of Tears is what took place after the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The government forced these 125,000 Native American’s out of their homes near the Appalachian Mountains, to relocate in Oklahoma. The trail from the Appalachian Mountains to their new homes in Oklahoma was about a 900 mile walk. The 900-mile trip took nearly nine months to complete. On this trip, approximately 1/4th of the Native Americans lost their lives due to dehydration, starvation, sickness and other reasons. …show more content…
The purpose of creating the Indian Removal Act was to give white people more access to land. The Native Americans were told they would have access to land and money in the West if they were to leave their homes in the South. There were five types of Native American groups that were part of the relocating as an effect of the Indian Removal Act. The five tribes effected by this act were the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians. Each of these tribes walked the trails at different times as each tribe was mandated to leave at different times. Following the signing of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, the Choctaw Indian tribe were the first to walk the Trail of Tears in 1831. The Choctaw Indians could have been found in Mississippi. Following the Choctaw tribe, were the Seminole Indians in 1832. The Seminole Indians could be found mostly in Florida. Following the Seminoles in 1834, were the Muscogee Indians. The Muscogee Indians could have been found in Alabama or Florida. In 1837, after the Muscogee Tribe, the Chickasaw Tribe took their walk on the trail. The Chickasaw Indians could have been found in Mississippi and Arkansas. Finally, in 1838, the Cherokee Indians made their journey on the 900-mile trail. The Cherokee Indians could have been mostly found in the mountains of North Carolina. It is argued that …show more content…
The case was taken to Supreme Court where Chief Justice John Marshall made the decision that they did not have to leave their land. However, John Marshall’s decision was not supported by President Andrew Jackson and Andrew Jackson claims that “John Marshall has made his decision; let him enforce it now if he can.” This decision made by Chief Justice Marshall was not one that was taken without harassment. The Native Americans and John Marshall were mocked for his decision. The harassment ultimately ended up in a treaty being created and was agreed to by the Cherokee Tribe on May 23rd, 1836. Before the Cherokee signed the treaty, the treaty was first signed by the Choctaw Indian Tribe. The treaty was called the Treaty of New Echota. The Treaty of New Echota included a five-million-dollar stipend for the tribe for leaving the land. The tribe was also compensated for the land and possessions that they were forced to leave behind. The treaty also allowed the Cherokee Indians a two-year period before they had to leave their homes. Even after the treaty was in place, when it came time to leave their homes, not many of the Cherokee Indians left on their own free will. These people were forced out of their homes by military and forced to make the 900-mile trek to their new homes out West. About 2,500 of the Native Americans belonging to the Choctaw tribe, regardless of signing the