One of the most tragic stories in US history is the Trail of Tears. It was the forced migration of Native people from their homes in the Southeast into the Oklahoma Territory. Five tribes were involved in this forced relocation over the course of 7 years.
1. Thousands of People Died
The first people who were forced to move were the Choctaw tribe. This happened in 1831 and more than 16,000 people were forced to endure the Trail of Tears journey. More than 6,000 people who took on that journey died.
2. Many Were Christians
The 5 tribes that were involved in this forced relocation had become very much apart of daily American life. The five tribes had their own public schools, their own Constitution, and even their own justice system. Many had adopted European lifestyles and had even converted to Christianity, yet were still forced out of their homes in favor of white settlers.
3. Cherokees Named the Trail
In 1835, a forced treaty transferred all Cherokee lands to the United States in exchange for $5.6 million. All tribal members were forced to leave their lands, but not all complied. By 1838, the US was forcibly evicting people with soldiers not allowing households to take any spare clothing or food for the journey. More than 4,000 Cherokees out of 17,000 who began the journey died. To this day, the tribe calls this journey “The Trail Where They Cried.”
4. Better Than the Alternative?
An 1830 law was signed by President Jackson which completely removed the rights of Native tribes in the United States. There were many in the nation who believed that the complete removal of rights meant that these people could be exterminated just because they had a different skin color. To many at that time, even the Trail of Tears was considered a nicety that shouldn’t have happened.
5. Lottery Winnings
What happened to all of the land that had been taken away from the tribes? It was given away to white settlers through a lottery. Even more tragic, the lands that were given to the 5 tribes through the Trail of Tears was again given away in the land rushes that began in 1889.
The Trail of Tears is one of the darkest chapters in American history. We must remember these facts so that these mistakes are not repeated.
