National Park Service Trail of Tears Brochure
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... the government Cherokee Nation The Removal Act The Gathering Storm Cherokee Trail of Tears A Nation Renewed might more mercifully A traveler through the southern Appalachians realizes From the time Europeans arrived in the New World, On the heels of the Indian Removal Act, government Most Cherokee refused to recognize the Treaty of New Weak and traumatized, 17 detachments of Cherokee that something is missing from the forested mountains they struggled with how to live alongside native people. agents descended on the southeastern native peoples. Echota: few had moved after two years. In the spring of arrived in Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839. The treaty Interior and cascading streams. The people who once lived In 1803 Thomas Jefferson became the first president One by one the tribes were removed. Agents coerced 1838,7,000 soldiers under Gen. Winfield Scott moved strife and the harsh removal had also divided the have put to death here no longer work the land or hunt the forests. Ihcir to publicly support removing Indians, and for the next Choctaw chiefs in Mississippi to sign the first removal against the Cherokee Nation. The removal effort begun Cherokee into three factions: pro-treaty, anti-treuty, the spirits remain and their language is on the landscape, 25 years eastern tribes were forced west. Some of the treaty, and in late 1831 the tribe was quickly moved to in Georgia, where Cherokee families were uprooted and and the “Old Settlers." of everyone under a year but most of them are gone. Where did they go? Do Cherokee (known as the 'Old Settlers”) moved west on Indian Territory—present-day Oklahoma. driven—sometimes at bayonet point—to "round-up" Service they survive? The answers are on the Trail of Tears. their own to distance themselves from the expanding camps, then concentrated in larger removal camps. Despite the political discord, the Cherokee reconstructed or over sixty; rather it American republic. The government removed most Muscogee Creeks, many- their lives. In September 1839 delegates signed a constitu Park In the 1600s about 25,000 Cherokee lived on lands in chains, from .Alabama and Georgia to Indian Territory In June the army loaded Cherokee onto flatboats that tion. The tribe reelected John Ross as Principal Chief stretching from the Ohio River to northern Georgia. But Events accelerated after Andrew Jackson was elected by 1836. The Chickasaw, whose homeland had once traveled the Tennessee. Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas and Tahlequah became the Cherokee capital. In 1S44 Departm ent had chosen a most European diseases devastated the Cherokee throughout president in 1828. In 1830 Congress passed the Indian stretched from Tennessee to Arkansas and Illinois, rivers to Indian Territory. The first boat reached its the Cherokee Supreme Court building opened its doors. the 1700s, and by 1819 Americans' unquenchable thirst Removal Act, providing "for an exchange of lands with were taken away by the end of 1837. The Seminóles goal in 13 days, but desertions and fatalities plagued the The Cherokee Advocate, a bilingual newspaper, began National U.S. expensive and painful for land had whittled away Cherokee lands—down to the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, fiercely resisted removal from their Florida homeland next two groups. Diseases raged through the cramped, publication. By 1S46 the three factions had signed a treaty 10 percent of their original territory. and for their removal west of the river Mississippi.” but, after great losses in the Seminole Wars, some 4,000 poorly-supplied boats. that addressed many of their differences. The Sacred Meanwhile the state of Georgia, home to the Cherokee, people were deported to Indian Territory by 1842. Fire of the Cherokee Nation burned again. way of exterminating Still, they endured. Cherokee Sacred Fire—rekindled passed laws prohibiting them from conducting tribal To save his people, Principal Chief John Ross petitioned each spring in the New l ire Ceremony and the source of business, testifying against whites, and mining for gold. The Cherokee resisted removal and looked to their General Scott to let the Cherokee control their own Meeting other challenges as they rebuilt their nation, the every home fire—shone over a unified Cherokee Nation. leadcrs to sway American political opinion. Still, 20 tribal removal. Ross organized detachments of about 1,000 Cherokee proved resilient in the ensuing years. Today the Trail these poor people. Illinois, Adopting many of the political and economic features The Cherokee Nation, though, had produced leaders well members, led by Major Ridge and acting outside the each, and the Cherokee traveled by foot, horse, and Cherokee and other removed tribes endure as vigorous of the United States, they drafted a constitution, estab versed in the VS legal system, leaders who fought back. authority of the Cherokee government, signed the Treaty wagon for 800 miles, taking up to eight months to reach Indian nations. The Trail of Tears story is one of racial —Missionary Daniel Butrick lished their own courts, and created a written language. In Worcester v. Georgia the US Supreme Court, headed of New l-xhota in 1835. The conditions for removal were Indian Territory. Despite prearranged supply points, injustice, intolerance, and suffering. But this is also a Historic As a symbol of their revival, their newspaper was named by Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled in 1832 that the set: In exchange for $5 million the tribe would relocate they suffered terribly during the hard winter. Of about story of survival, of a people thriving in the present while Oklahoma Kentucky, the Cherokee Phoenix, after the mythical bird reborn Cherokee held sovereign land rights. President Jackson to Indian Territory. Though the majority of Cherokee 15,000 Cherokee forced from their homes, many remembering the past—not only in Oklahoma, but in Carolina, of fire. The Cherokee people had shaped a stable and openly dismissed the ruling. The Cherokee were running protested the agreement, by May 1836 Congress made hundreds died in the camps or on the journey. The the homelands of southern Appalachia. National prosperous life—one envied by their white neighbors. out of options. it law. The treaty gave the Cherokee two years to Cherokee Nation remained alive though, in the spirits North of the people and in the ashes saved from the Sacred labam a, voluntarily move. Missouri, A Fire they carried along the trail. Tears of Trail Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, far left: Deed for Cherokee Dwindling Cherokee Lands land transferred in 1832 to Southeast Indian Removal a white settler in Georgia's land lottery. Center/eft. Andrew Jackson, preside nt 1829-37. was determined to remove the southeastern tribes. left; John Ross,W Cherokee Principal Chief 1828-66. led Far left: Lands of the Left Blocked by icebound Cherokee people were the resistance to his tribe’s rivers, many Cherokee steadily reduced in the■ removal. endured weeks of harsh 100 years before their ' winter weather without > removal. Left Sequoyah adequate clothing. Right: * George Gilt) completed an 86- The five 'Civilized Tribes* Character Cherokee syllabary in 1821, were removed from their enabling many Cherokee to become homelands in the 1830s. * literate. Above: Their newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix. was bilingual. at 1721 The Cherokee sign the first 1828 The discovery of gold 18 JO (May 26) Congress passes 1832 (March 3) In Worcester v. 1835 (Dec 29) Twenty 'treaty 1838 A group of North Carolina 1838 (Aug. 23) Cherokee Hair 1838 (Sept. 28) Cherokee leader 1839 (Jan. 4) The first land 1987 Congress establishes of several treaties that, over the in northern Georgia leads to the Indian Removal Act: President Georgia the US Supreme Court party* leaders sign the Treaty of Cherokee avoid removal because Conrad leads the first land John Benge leads a detachment route detachment, led by the Trail of Tears National next 70 years, force them to cede the 'Georgia Gold Rush” the Andrew Jackson signs it into law confirms that the Cherokee New Echota. which leads to they live on land ceded to them route detachment out of Fort out of Fort Payne. Alabama Cherokee Elijah Hicks, arrives Historic Trail. In 2009 more over half their lands following year, much of it on two days later. Indians are a nation holding Cherokee removal by earlier treaties These Cherokee Cass. Tennessee Twelve more in Indian Territory; final detach routes are added Cherokee lands distinct sovereign powers. are the bases for today's Eastern detachments depart over the 1838 (Oct. 11) John Bell, a white ments arrive in late March 1791 (July 2) The Treaty of 1832 Lotteries are held for 1838 (May) Cherokee are Band of Cherokee Indians next two months, most traveling man married to a Cherokee Hotston places the Cherokee appropriated Cherokee lands forcibly removed from their by the northern route woman, leads 660 pro-treaty 1839 (Sept. 6) Cherokee under US protection in Georgia. homes and marched to nearby Cherokee to Indian Territory delegates sign a constitution for temporary camps and forts. the reunited Cherokee Nation. ¿ft •* . -- . : .. One will not hear the anguished voice ■ of a forgotten and broken people. - Ꮍ Ꮤ instead one might hear thè pride of t Ꮆ Ꮒ people who faced overwhelming Ꭰ ? adversity and perse'ùeréd^r^J^^ Ꮔ Ꮩ -Cherok,. Nation Tears Ꮅ Ꭲ of Ꮵ The Appalachian Mountain in Ꭸ eastern Tennessee and North j I The Trail of Tears, by Max D. Standley, Carolina were home and hunting ’ portrays displaced Cherokee on the long grounds to countless generations Ᏺ road from their old home in Appalachia of Cherokee people before they to their new one in Indian Territory. Svere forcibly removed - j. Ꭴ Trail • w*to - RETRACE THE TRAIL Look for official national Trail of 11? The sites of Trail of Tears National historic trail signs.