They Passed This Way
They Passed This Way
Home to thousands of men, women, and children, the Cherokee Nation once spread across parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. The 1830 Indian Removal Act required that the Cherokee surrender their land and move west.
In 1838, more than 15,000 Cherokee began their trek west from their eastern homeland to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) over the "Trail of Tears." They traveled by roads and rivers, including this stretch of the Mississippi River. More than 1,000 died during the journey westward, and more 4,000 died as a result of their forced migration.
Federal Indian Removal Policy
Federal Indian removal policy aroused fierce and bitter debate. Supporters of the policy claimed it was a benevolent action to save the tribes east of the Mississippi River from being overwhelmed and lost in the onslaught of an expanding American population. Opponents decried its inhumanity and the tragic consequences it had for the Indian peoples. One thing was certain, removal freed millions of acres of desired Indian lands for use by white settlers.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 resulted in the removal of thousands of American Indians from their ancestral lands for new homes in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). They traveled by existing roads and rivers. Many groups left in the fall, hoping to avoid the disease and heat of summer travel, and instead faced treacherous winter weather. Many died during the ordeal of the Trail of Tears.
Today
Despite the hardships of the journey, members of the five removed tribes established new lives in the West. They stand as successful sovereign nations, proudly preserving cultural traditions, while adapting to the challenges of the 21st century.
Cherokee who survived the Trail of Tears created a new sovereign nation in present-day Oklahoma. Some Cherokee remained in North Carolina and, due to a special exemption, formed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Dangers of Water Travel along the Trail or Tears
Few groups of Cherokee traveled by water. After hearing of the difficulties faced by military-led groups that had traveled by the water route, Cherokee leaders petitioned for permission to manage the removal of their own people
They decided to remove over land routes to avoid the dangers of travel by boat, including the quick spread of sickness onboard, fear of disease along the river lowlands, and unpredictable water levels and weather patterns.