1. The Trail of Tears 1838

2. Trail of Tears, Robert Lindneux 1942
In 1838, 18,000 Cherokees were forced to march over 800 miles to Indian territory in Oklahoma. 4,000 died along the way.

3. Map of the Trail of Tears

4. What to do with the Indians?
Two options for dealing with Indians
Civilization: convert the Indians to White/American culture (Christianity, farming, private ownership, English)
Removal: civilization would not succeed and the only thing to do was to find a new home to settle Native Americans

5. Civilized Tribes Creeks Chikasaw Seminole Choctaw Cherokee
Cherokee were most “civilized (newspaper, Christianity, Constitution, farms)

6. Indian Removal Andrew Jackson passed
Indian Removal Act: Removal of Indians from Georgia to new territories out west
Indians were given two years to migrate voluntarily

7. Treaty of New Echota
Small group of Cherokee signed a removal agreement
They were not the Cherokee leaders
Congress ignored the Cherokee’s majority protest
Elias Boudinot was a Cherokee who signed the agreement
Executed for participation

8. Trail of Tears
1838 All remaining Indians were forced by U.S. troops to leave
4,000 died from the harsh conditions