"Cherokee Retracement at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Garfield, Arkansas" by NPS , public domain

Trail of Tears

National Historic Trail - AL,AR,GA,IL,KY,MO,NC,OK,TN

The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations of approximately 60,000 Native Americans in the United States from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States, to areas to the west of the Mississippi River that had been designated as Indian Territory. The forced relocations were carried out by government authorities following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830. The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their new designated reserve, and approximately 4,000 died before reaching their destinations or shortly after from disease. The forced removals included members of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations, as well as their African slaves.

location

maps

Map of the U.S. National Trails System. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).National Park System - National Trails System

Map of the U.S. National Trails System. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Official Visitor Map of Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).Trail of Tears - Trail Map

Official Visitor Map of Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Official Visitor Map of Natchez Trace Parkway (PKWY) in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).Natchez Trace - Visitor Map

Official Visitor Map of Natchez Trace Parkway (PKWY) in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Map of the U.S. National Park System. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).National Park System - National Park Units

Map of the U.S. National Park System. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Map of the U.S. National Park System with DOI's Unified Regions. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).National Park System - National Park Units and Regions

Map of the U.S. National Park System with DOI's Unified Regions. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Map of the U.S. National Heritage Areas. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).National Park System - National Heritage Areas

Map of the U.S. National Heritage Areas. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

brochures

Official Brochure of Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).Trail Of Tears - Brochure

Official Brochure of Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Georgia Map and Guide to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).Trail Of Tears - Georgia Map and Guide

Georgia Map and Guide to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

North Carolina Map and Guide to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).Trail Of Tears - North Carolina Map and Guide

North Carolina Map and Guide to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

Tennessee Map and Guide to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).Trail Of Tears - Tennessee Map and Guide

Tennessee Map and Guide to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (NHT) in AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, MO, NC, OK, TN. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).

https://www.nps.gov/abli/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations of approximately 60,000 Native Americans in the United States from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States, to areas to the west of the Mississippi River that had been designated as Indian Territory. The forced relocations were carried out by government authorities following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830. The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their new designated reserve, and approximately 4,000 died before reaching their destinations or shortly after from disease. The forced removals included members of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations, as well as their African slaves. Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839. You can visit many of the sites along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail over the 2,200+ mile route that crosses 9 states. Chieftain's Museum, Rome, Georgia large white house, green lawn, two trees in front The museum tells the story of Major Ridge, the influential Ridge family including prominent son John Ridge, Cherokee history, and the Trail of Tears, as well as subsequent history of the home and region. Brown's Ferry Tavern, Chattanooga, Tennessee structure in the background with large chimney on the end; signs saying Brown's Ferry Tavern Cherokee leader John Brown, who owned 640 acres in this area, ordered the construction of Browns Ferry Tavern in 1803. In 1838, the road running past this structure was the route by which several Cherokee detachments were removed to present-day Oklahoma. Mantle Rock Preserve, Joy, Kentucky sunlight coming through trees with green leaves Thousands of Cherokee camped for weeks along the main (northern) route, near Mantle Rock, during the winter of 1838-39 as they waited for ice conditions in the Ohio River to allow a safe crossing. Cherokee Retracement at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Garfield, Arkansas dozens of people walk a section of the Trail of Tears, winter scene, trees with no leaves The Pea Ridge National Military Park encompasses 4,300 acres and features a visitor center, museum, self-guided tours, reconstructed Elkhorn Tavern, and a retracement trail along a 2.5-mile original route segment of the Trail of Tears. Grave Stone of William Adair, Stilwell, Oklahoma gravestone with words etched, green grass When the Cherokee arrived at their prescribed disbandment depot in Oklahoma, settlements sprang up nearby. There was a depot at the Adair's farm near present-day Stilwell, Oklahoma. Crabb Abbott Farm, Grantsburg, Illinois Two people walk a remnant of the Trail of Tears. Spring setting with green leafed trees. Crabb Abbott Farm has segments of the Northern Route, including the rock crossing and ford of Sugar Creek. These segments are contiguous with trail segments on the adjacent Shawnee National Forest. Webbers Falls - "really a beautiful fall" Geography impacted Indian Removal and arrival into Indian Territory. Cherokee traveling on the water route went by steamboat which usually pushed or pulled a flat boat. Waterways in the 1830s were not maintained as they are today. Learn why Webbers Falls was a landing point. Historic photograph of a steamboat on a river pushing a barge or flat boat Webbers Falls - Old Settlers, New Homeland Cherokee moved west of the Mississippi River decades before what is now known as the Trail of Tears. Early Cherokee settlers recognized the reality of white demand for land in the southeastern United States and moved west to Arkansas, only to relocate again following a coerced treaty in 1828. By the time of Cherokee removal, Indian Territory (today’s eastern Oklahoma) was a complex quilt of land patents for diverse American Indian groups removed from their homelands. Historic portrait of Chief John Jolly Webbers Falls - Last Stop for the Last Detachment Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was the landing place for the final detachment of Cherokee into Indian Territory in 1839. The town was already settled by Cherokee who had moved much earlier than the Cherokee forcefully removed in 1838-1839 on the Trail of Tears. The site demonstrates how geography impacted Indian Removal and how the Cherokee rebuilt their nation in a new land. Historic map showing Trail of Tears sites on the border of Oklahoma and Arkansas Trail Itineraries in Arkansas Cherokee on the Trail of Tears passed through Arkansas on their way to Indian Country, today's Arkansas. This itinerary guides you along one of the routes in northwest Arkansas. What Happened on the Trail of Tears? In May 1838, the Cherokee removal process began. U.S. Army troops, along with various state militia, moved into the tribe’s homelands and forcibly evicted more than 16,000 Cherokee Indian people from their homelands in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. They were first sent to so-called “round up camps,” and soon afterward to one of three emigration camps. Once there, the U.S. Army gave orders to move the Cherokee west. A brown sign indicating the trail of tears, in a forest. The Prequel: Women’s Suffrage Before 1848 Most suffrage histories begin in 1848, the year Elizabeth Cady Stanton convened a women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. There, she unfurled a Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, seeking religious, educational and property rights for women – and the right to vote. While Seneca Falls remains an important marker in women’s suffrage history, in fact women had been agitating for this basic right of citizenship even before the first stirrings of the Revolution. drawing of a group of women in front of a counter Series: On Their Shoulders: The Radical Stories of Women's Fight for the Vote These articles were originally published by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) as a part of the WSCC blog, The Suff Buffs. The Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission was created by Congress to commemorate 100 years of the 19th Amendment throughout 2020 and to ensure the untold stories of women’s battle for the ballot continue to inspire Americans for the next 100 years. In collaboration with the WSCC, the NPS is the forever home of these articles Logo of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Become a Junior Ranger for National Historic Trails Learn about the National Historic Trails and earn junior ranger badges! These activities can be completed virtually or after visiting a site along the National Historic Trails. Booklets can be submitted either electronically or by mail. Take a look and start exploring the trails today! small photos of different trail sites with junior ranger badges. Rivers, Rails & Roads: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 The Trail of Tears involved mile after mile of hard travel through miserable conditions. Yet detachments bound for Indian Territory did more than just walk. Although time-honored methods like wagons, keelboats, flatboats, and ferries played major roles, some of the technology used to transport Cherokees on the Trail of Tears was actually quite new. The image of a booklet cover with a dirt road running through a forest. Trail of Tears: Trail Transformation Check out the newly constructed trail at Blythe Ferry on the Trail of Tears NHT! The trail begins at the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park and leads to the historic Blythe Ferry landing site. This was the last time many of the Cherokee would be in their native lands as they were forced west. Once the Cherokee crossed the river they were no longer on their native land. The trail is approx. 1/4 mile long and of natural surface. Thank you to our partners for making this happen! A gravel path winds through a forest. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Spring Newsletter 2021 Read the latest Trail of Tears NHT project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS). National Historic Trails: Historical Routes of National Significance Wondering about National Historic Trails? Check out this infographic with basic information about the trails, their purpose, and where you can go for more information! Infographic about National Historic Trails featuring a map. Full description available at link. Trail of Tears: Fayetteville Itinerary Visit sites along the Trail of Tears in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Trail of Tears: Western Arkansas & Oklahoma Itinerary Visit sites along the Trail of Tears through Western Arkansas and Oklahoma. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Fall Newsletter 2021 Read the Fall 2021 updates on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail from the National Trails Office, Regions 6, 7, & 8. Cave Springs and the Trail of Tears Beaver Dam, in the area known today as Cave Spring, was the site of the most prominent instance of active Cherokee resistance to unauthorized white settlement on Cherokee land. The front of an old wooden cabin, with a red front door and two windows. Mantle Rock Preserve and the Trail of Tears You can hike a portion of the Trail of Tears at The Nature Conservancy's Mantle Rock Preserve in Livingston County, Kentucky. The outdoor exhibits, featured here and available on the site, guide the retracement experience. New Madrid and the Trail of Tears The Cherokee on the water route of the Trail of Tears passed by New Madrid, Missouri, on their way to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). This information is available in exhibits, which are located on the levee in New Madrid. Keelboats: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 Between 1837 and 1839, four Cherokee detachments utilized eight keelboats for their journeys to Indian Territory Keelboats took their name from their construction— long, narrow boats built with a keel providing stability. They typically ranged from 40 to 80 feet long and 8 to 12 feet wide, and came to a point at the bow and stern When fully loaded, the average keelboat drew 2 feet of water, which made it ideal for travel in shallow waters. A historic flat bottomed wooden boat with a mast, sitting on a river at a dock. Flatboats: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 Twenty-nine flatboats were used on the Hiwassee and Tennessee rivers to assist in the transportation of four Cherokee detachments to the West between 1837 and 1839. Flatboats were built commercially as early as the late 1780s and were one of the most common vernacular wooden boats used to transport people and cargo along the major southeastern rivers in the early 19th century. Black and white image of a flat wooden boat on a river. Ferries: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 Before bridges were common, ferries played an important role in transportation as they provided conveyance over large streams and rivers. Ferry boats were most often flatboats with modifications such as sloping ramps attached to the front and back of the boat. These allowed the ferry to pull up to the bank to unload passengers and cargo directly onto the land. Black and white image of a ferry boat on a river. Introduction: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 The Trail of Tears involved mile after mile of hard travel through miserable conditions. Yet detachments bound for Indian Territory did more than just walk. Although time-honored methods like wagons, keelboats, flatboats, and ferries played major roles, some of the technology used to transport Cherokees on the Trail of Tears was actually quite new. The Tuscumbia, Courtland & Decatur Railroad: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 On March 7, 1837, the first of three Cherokee detachments, consisting of approximately 466 individuals, arrived in Decatur. As a crowd of spectators looked on, the following morning the Cherokee began boarding the first of two trains to take them to Tuscumbia. Unfortunately, this next leg of the journey did not go as planned. Learn more about the Tuscumbia, Courtland & Decatur Railroads that were used on the Trail of Tears. Historic railroad car. Early 19th Century Roads and Turnpikes: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 The majority of Cherokee traveled overland on foot during their forced removal to Indian Territory, with some traveling on horses and in wagons. The detachments used a network of well-known, established roads that linked major towns and settlements. Learn more about early 19th century roads and turnpikes that were used on the Trail of Tears. Highly eroded road bank sits below towering trees. Steamboats: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 From 1837 to 1839, nine different steamboats were employed to assist in the transportation of Cherokee detachments in reaching Indian Territory. These steamboats included the Knoxville, Newark, Revenue, Smelter, Little Rock, George Guess, Tecumseh, Itasca, and Victoria. Several of these steamboats were also used in the removal of the Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, and Seminole. A drawing of a historic steamboat. Series: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 The Trail of Tears involved mile after mile of hard travel through miserable conditions. Yet detachments bound for Indian Territory did more than just walk. Although time-honored methods like wagons, keelboats, flatboats, and ferries played major roles, some of the technology used to transport Cherokees on the Trail of Tears was actually quite new. A person walks through a large swale that sits below and alongside towering trees. Wagons, Carriages, and Carryalls: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 While the majority of Cherokee walked on the Trail of Tears due to an insufficient number of horses, oxen, and wagons, animal-powered wooden vehicles were still a constant presence on the trail and played an important role in the removal by carrying goods, the elderly, and the sick. Although vehicles helped in these roles, they required regular maintenance. Poor roads and difficult terrain, worsened by inclement weather, took a toll on the vehicles. Historic wooden, covered wagon. The Zuraw Wagon: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 The Zuraw Wagon, located at the Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center in Rabun County, Georgia, is not a wagon type, but the name of a specific wagon used during the Cherokee removal. It is the last remaining documented wagon with ties to the Trail of Tears. Historic wooden wagon. Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 - 1839 The Trail of Tears involved mile after mile of hard travel through miserable conditions. Yet detachments bound for Indian Territory did more than just walk. Although time-honored methods like wagons, keelboats, flatboats, and ferries played major roles, some of the technology used to transport Cherokees on the Trail of Tears was actually quite new. A trail through a wooded forest. Things to Do in Missouri Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Missouri. Purple flowers bloom on a grass-covered landscape under a partly cloudy sky. Things to Do in Illinois Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Illinois. A light orange two story home containing many windows with green shutters. Things to Do in Arkansas Find things to do and trip ideas in Arkansas. Front of a high school made of brown brick that rises to a high point in the middle with stairways. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. The Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger Program Brings BSA Scouts and National Parks Together To connect more youth to their local communities, NPS created the Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger Program in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America, which welcomes boys, girls, and young adults to participate. Through this program, BSA Scouts and Cub Scouts can earn award certificates and may also receive a patch. Learn more in this article. William Kai, a Cub Scout, holds up his Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger Certificate Award Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Spring Newsletter 2022 Read the Spring 2022 updates on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail from the National Trails Office, Regions 6, 7, & 8. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Fall Newsletter 2022 Read the Fall 2022 updates on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail from the National Trails Office, Regions 6, 7, & 8. "Fall 2022" on a picture of a building with a green lawn. Cave Spring Exhibits Audio Description Wayside Exhibits for The Trail of Tears at Cave Spring Georgia Two wayside panels side by side installed in Cave Spring Georgia Columbus Belmont State Park Kentucky Waysides Wayside exhibits for Trail of Tears at Columbus Belmont State Park, Kentucky. Cherokee Garden Exhibits Audio Description Wayside exhibit "Powerful Plants" in the Cherokee Garden at the Green Meadows Preserve in Powder Springs, Georgia Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Spring Newsletter 2023 Read the Spring 2023 updates on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail from the National Trails Office, Regions 6, 7, & 8. An image of a virtual newsletter with pictures and text. Trail of Tears: Missouri, Illinois, & Kentucky Itinerary Visit sites in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky along the different routes of the forced removal on the Trail of Tears. Trail of Tears: Alabama Itinerary Cherokee removals through Alabama included water route detachments. Removal by water on steamboat and flatboat proved to be very hard for the Indians with hundreds of lives lost. The Bell Detachment of 660 Cherokee also passed through northeast Alabama in late 1838. Trail of Tears: Georgia Itinerary The Cherokee homelands include Georgia. Most of the sites relate to the round up routes along which the Cherokee were forcibly removed to camps. Most Cherokee are moved into 11 removal camps—10 in Tennessee and one in Alabama. The round ups were the start of an 800-mile journey. Other sites in Georgia showcase elements of Cherokee life or environment in the homelands. Trail of Tears: Tennessee Itinerary Cherokee were assigned to detachments that were organized by military or Cherokee leaders. The first three military-led detachments left on the water route, but disease, desertions, and fatalities caused Cherokee leaders to request permission to organize their own removal detachments and travel overland. You can visit several of the departure locations. Trail of Tears: Paducah Area Itinerary Visit sites in the Paducah, Kentucky area. National Trails Coloring Pages Stretching for 28,000 miles over 26 states, the national historic trails are home to many different animals. Learn more about the trails and the animals that people encountered with these great coloring pages. This is fun for all ages, just download, print, and color! Coloring page with outline of a deer fawn. Trail of Tears at Pea Ridge National Military Park Records show that 10,370 Cherokee traveled on the Trail of Tears through what became Pea Ridge National Military Park. Learn more about the history of the trail at the park. Reflecting on 55 years of the National Trails System Act: A Journey Through the Establishment of National Scenic and Historic Trails In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, learn more about these significant trails and their history. Trail of Tears: Northwest Arkansas Itinerary Explore sites on the Old Wire Road Itinerary which helps the public explore Trail of Tears in northwest Arkansas. Each site features one aspect or story about the Cherokee experience traveling the Trail of Tears in this area as they approach the end of their journey and arrive in Indian Territory (today’s Oklahoma). Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Fall Newsletter 2023 Read the Fall 2023 updates on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail from the National Trails Office, Regions 6, 7, & 8. Black background, white text, "Trail of Tears Newsletter Fall 2023" Cadron Settlement Park Exhibits Audio Description Interested in the Trail of Tears at Cadron Settlement Park? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available. North Shore Riverwalk Park Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Trail of Tears at North Shore Riverwalk Park? Take a look at this interpretive exhibit and listen to the audio description. Trail of Tears: Arkansas River Water Route Itinerary You can visit multiple Water Route sites on the Arkansas River by following the "Follow the Arkansas River, Retrace the Trail of Tears" itinerary. Each site features one aspect or story about the Cherokee and Creek experience traveling the Trail of Tears by water, highlighting the challenges and complexities that arose daily on the Arkansas River. Painting depicting a Cherokee Indian man standing on a keel boat being towed by a steamboat. Trail of Tears Commemorative Park Exhibits Audio Description Interested in the Trail of Tears in Hopkinsville? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available. Trail of Tears: Remember the Removal Bike Ride The Remember the Removal Bike Ride is a Cherokee Nation program connecting youth with their culture as they bike 950 miles following the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Learn more about this event through the personal experience of Amaiya Bearpaw, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a bike rider on the 2023 team. Bike riders in formation on a road. Guide to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southeast Region Collection This finding aid describes the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southest Region Collection, part of the NPS History Collection.
N ational Park Service U.S. D epartm ent o f th e Interior ... the government might more mercifully have put to death everyone under a year or over sixty; rather it had chosen a most expensive and painful Trail o f Tears N ational Historic Trail Tennessee, N orth Carolina, Georgia, A labam a, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahom a way of exterminating these poor people. —Missionary Daniel Butrick Cherokee Nation The Removal Act The Gathering Storm Cherokee Trail of Tears A Nation Renewed A traveler through the southern Appalachians realizes that something is missing from the forested mountains and cascading streams. The people who once lived here no longer work the land or hunt the forests. Ihcir spirits remain and their language is on the landscape, but most of them are gone. Where did they go? Do they survive? The answers are on the Trail of Tears. From the time Europeans arrived in the New World, they struggled with how to live alongside native people. In 1803 Thomas Jefferson became the first president to publicly support removing Indians, and for the next 25 years eastern tribes were forced west. Some of the Cherokee (known as the 'Old Settlers”) moved west on their own to distance themselves from the expanding American republic. On the heels of the Indian Removal Act, government agents descended on the southeastern native peoples. One by one the tribes were removed. Agents coerced Choctaw chiefs in Mississippi to sign the first removal treaty, and in late 1831 the tribe was quickly moved to Indian Territory—present-day Oklahoma. Most Cherokee refused to recognize the Treaty of New Echota: few had moved after two years. In the spring of 1838,7,000 soldiers under Gen. Winfield Scott moved against the Cherokee Nation. The removal effort begun in Georgia, where Cherokee families were uprooted and driven—sometimes at bayonet point—to "round-up" camps, then concentrated in larger removal camps. Weak and traumatized, 17 detachments of Cherokee arrived in Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839. The treaty strife and the harsh removal had also divided the Cherokee into three factions: pro-treaty, anti-treuty, and the “Old Settlers." In the 1600s about 25,000 Cherokee lived on lands stretching from the Ohio River to northern Georgia. But European diseases devastated the Cherokee throughout the 1700s, and by 1819 Americans' unquenchable thirst for land had whittled away Cherokee lands—down to 10 percent of their original territory. Events accelerated after Andrew Jackson was elected president in 1828. In 1830 Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, providing "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi.” Meanwhile the state of Georgia, home to the Cherokee, passed laws prohibiting them from conducting tribal business, testifying against whites, and mining for gold. Still, they endured. Cherokee Sacred Fire—rekindled each spring in the New l ire Ceremony and the source of every home fire—shone over a unified Cherokee Nation. Adopting many of the political and economic features of the United States, they drafted a constitution, estab­ lished their own courts, and created a written language. As a symbol of their revival, their newspaper was named the Cherokee Phoenix, after the mythical bird reborn of fire. The Cherokee people had shaped a stable and prosperous life—one envied by their white neighbors. The Cherokee Nation, though, had produced leaders well versed in the VS legal system, leaders who fought back. In Worcester v. Georgia the US Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled in 1832 that the Cherokee held sovereign land rights. President Jackson openly dismissed the ruling. The Cherokee were running out of options. The government removed most Muscogee Creeks, manyin chains, from .Alabama and Georgia to Indian Territory by 1836. The Chickasaw, whose homeland had once stretched from Tennessee to Arkansas and Illinois, were taken away by the end of 1837. The Seminóles fiercely resisted removal from their Florida homeland but, after great losses in the Seminole Wars, some 4,000 people were deported to Indian Territory by 1842. In June the army loaded Cherokee onto flatboats that traveled the Tennessee. Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas rivers to Indian Territory. The first boat reached its goal in 13 days, but desertions and fatalities plagued the next two groups. Diseases raged through the cramped, poorly-supplied boats. The Cherokee resisted removal and looked to their leadcrs to sway American political opinion. Still, 20 tribal members, led by Major Ridge and acting outside the authority of the Cherokee government, signed the Treaty of New l-xhota in 1835. The conditions for removal were set: In exchange for $5 million the tribe would relocate to Indian Territory. Though the majority of Cherokee protested the agreement, by May 1836 Congress made it law. The treaty gave the
Connected to the Landscape Assertion of Power Culture Clash …forward with their bayonets. Cherokee Expelled distant thunder fell upon my ear. In The Cherokee people flourished across the fertile landscape of northwest Georgia. Sandstonecapped mountains, narrow valleys, and ridges offered rich soils for farming and vast forests provided plentiful food as well as oak and hickory for housing, boats, and tools. A lifetime of knowledge of vegetation, animals, insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians helped Cherokee to create everything from wasp soup and bloodroot dye to sassafras tea and turtle-shell rattles. Georgia moved first to remove Indians. In 1802, the Compact of Georgia relinquished the state’s claims to lands west of the Chattahoochee River in return for the federal government’s pledge to remove all Indians from the state as soon as it could be done practicably and peacefully. Most Cherokee refused to recognize the Treaty of New Echota and instead relied on their leaders to sway American political opinion in their favor. In the spring of 1838, they started work in their fields just as they had done for generations. The roundup of the Georgia Cherokee proceeded swiftly. Troops knew where Cherokee families lived and how many were in each household. The Georgia militia had constructed 14 roundup forts and camps to take thousands of innocent people as prisoners. All told, it took 20 days to round up the Cherokee people from home and hearth and march them to camps where they slept on bare ground—adjacent to the forts that had been built for the soldiers and their supplies. almost an exact western direction a dark spiral cloud was rising above the horizon and sent forth a murmur. I almost fancied a voice of divine indignation for the wrongs of my poor and unhappy countrymen, driven by brutal power from all they loved and cherished in the land of their fathers, to gratify the cravings of avarice. -Cherokee leader William Shorey Coodey Their culture thrived—but so much about their world was changing. Beginning in the mid-18th century, encroachment of white people from the East led to food sources disappearing. Deer, turkey, bison, and elk populations dramatically dwindled from overhunting and loss of habitat due to the establishment of farms and pastures. Road building interrupted game trails and diminished coveted bird nesting sites. While the Cherokee continued to gather foods, medicines, and materials from their local landscapes, they also began raising cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs—and cleared land for peach orchards and other agriculture. Settlements changed from compact villages to towns sprawled along rivers, resembling European-style communities. The Indian Removal Act, passed by Congress in 1830, provided an exchange of land with the Indians that would move them west of the Mississippi River. By the mid-1830s, the Choctaw, Creek, and Chickasaw had arrived in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). In December 1835, a small group of unauthorized Cherokee tribal members (known as the Treaty Party) signed the Treaty of New Echota agreeing to be removed to the West. Even though most Cherokee signed a petition against the agreement, the conditions for removal were set. In the early spring of 1838, federal troops supported by Georgia militia began filtering into the Cherokee Nation to set up military forts as staging areas to launch the Indian removal. Georgians had waited 36 long years to claim Cherokee land. But on May 10, 1838, Major General Winfield Scott issued a dramatic proclamation that would forever change Cherokee lives: Cherokees! The President of the United States has sent me with a powerful army, to cause you…to join… your people…on the other side of the Mississippi… Will you then, by resistance, compel us to resort to arms? God forbid! I am an old warrior, and have been present at many a scene of slaughter; but spare me, I beseech you, the horror of witnessing the destruction of the Cherokees. William Cotter, aide to the soldiers, observed: After all the warning and with the soldiers in their midst, the inevitable day appointed found the Indians at work in their houses and in their fields. …two or three dropped their hoes and ran as fast as they could when they saw the soldiers coming into the field. The men handled them gently, but picked them up in the road, in the field, anywhere they found them, part of a family at a time, and carried them to the post [fort]. Cherokee memories are starkly different. Ooloo-Cha, widow of Sweet Water: The soldiers came and took us from our home. They first surrounded our house and they took the mare while we were at work in the fields and they drove us out of doors and did not permit us to take anything with us, not even a second change of clothes. They… drove us off to a fort that was built at New Echota. Reverend Daniel S. Butrick ran a mission near Rome and was an eyewitness to the events: Thus in two or three days about 8,000 people, man
Western Carolina University Trail of Tears Association Trail of Tears National Historic Trail National Park Service When I saw them, men, women Cherokee Homeland Forts and Roads Doorstep Deportation Resistance in the Mountains A Persistent People and children, moving along thro' Before the arrival of Europeans, the mountain region of what is today western North Carolina had long been the center of the Cherokee homeland. Here Cherokee built their towns and farmed the valleys formed by the Tuckasegee, Little Tennessee, Hiwassee, and other rivers. The US Army and state militias built forts and roads in the Cherokee Nation to gather and forcibly remove a nation of people, over 15,000 Cherokee, 3,500 of whom lived in North Carolina. In early 1838, army commanders viewed western North Carolina as a hotbed of Cherokee resistance. Rather than revolt, the Cherokee simply ignored the mandate to be removed and went about planting crops and building homes. In early June Capt. L. B. Webster noted, There are about six thousand in our neighborhood… They all remain quietly at work on their little farms… They sell us very cheap anything they have to spare, and look upon the regular troops as their friends… These are innocent and simple people into whose homes we are to obtrude ourselves… Though the majority of North Carolina Cherokee submitted to forced removal, several hundred disappeared into remote sections of the mountains, becoming fugitives in their native land. The mountain terrain made locating these refugees very difficult. One officer reported, After three weeks of the most arduous and fatiguing duty, traveling the country in every direction, searching the mountains on foot in every point where Indians could be heard of we [have] not been able to get sight of a single one. The Cherokee's precise knowledge of the mountains and their communication network flummoxed the soldiers, rendering all attempts to capture them futile. Cherokee living at Quallatown on the Oconaluftee River successfully demanded exemption from removal under provisions in earlier treaties between the Cherokee Nation and the United States. Known as the Luftee or Citizen Indians, this group eventually coalesced with their neighbors and kinspeople who managed to avoid capture during removal. They formed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. the valley towards the far west, . . . I could not help but think that some fearful retribution would yet come upon us from this much impugned race. The scene seemed to be more like a distempered dream, or something worthy of the dark ages than like a present reality; but it was too true. -The Diary of Lieutenant John Phelps, June 22, 1838 This region holds some of the most significant and sacred Cherokee places, such as Kituwah, considered the mother town of the Cherokee and a site of great religious, cultural, and historical importance. Today these mountains are still the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, descendants of those who sacrificed tremendously to remain in their ancestral southeastern lands. Removal Decree Sets the Stage As early as 1803 President Thomas Jefferson supported voluntary Indian removal. But it wasn’t until Andrew Jackson was elected president in 1828 that events accelerated. In 1830 Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which mandated that the Indian tribes move to new lands west of the Mississippi. Trail of Tears North Carolina Map and Guide What happened in 1835 outraged most of the Cherokee Nation—a small number of unauthorized Cherokee tribal members signed the Treaty of New Echota, accepting $5 million to leave their ancestral lands and move to Indian Territory. The stage was set for Cherokee removal. In order to facilitate the brutal work of collection, imprisonment, and deportation of thousands of people, the US government tallied the number of Cherokee in each community and surveyed roads and trails. The Unicoi Turnpike, established in 1816, supplied an easy removal path as it ran through northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. Fort Butler had been established in 1836 to keep order after the ratification of the Treaty of New Echota. Two years later, the army quickly constructed four more forts in the surrounding area. In 1837 the North Carolina legislature approved construction of the Great State Road between Franklin and Fort Butler to expedite the sale and settlement of Cherokee lands. During the spring of 1838 the Old Army Road, stretching between Andrews and Robbinsville, was improved in 10 days from a Cherokee foot path to a wagon road. From these collection points and conduit paths, all of the North Carolina Cherokee captured by the army were funneled through Fort Butler. Fort Butler included a blockhouse, palisade, barracks, a hospital, and other buildings. Sketch of Fort Butler, ca. 1837 When the troops began their deportation operations on June 12, Lt. John Phelps said, …seven companies of us marched thither… By
In 1835, a minority of Cherokee leaders, acting outside the authority of the Cherokee government, signed the Treaty of New Echota. This treaty set the conditions for removal: In exchange for $5 million, the tribe would relocate to the West. Most Cherokee protested the Treaty, but in 1838, in an event known as the Trail of Tears, over 15,000 Cherokee were forced from their homes, many at the hands of federal troops and state militia. During the process many families became separated, never to see their loved ones again. The journey that lay ahead of them would test the strength and will of each man, woman, and child traveling west to unfamiliar land. At the time the Treaty of New Echota was signed, southeast Tennessee was not only the location of the seat of the Cherokee government in Red Clay, but also the home of about 2,500 Cherokee. Prominent leaders Hair Principal Chief John Ross Conrad, James Brown, 1828-1866 Jesse Bushyhead, Lewis Ross, and Principal Chief John Ross all had homes in Tennessee. They lived in communities scattered across the hills and valleys and along the rivers and creeks. Most Cherokee farmed the fertile soils. Some owned prosperous plantations, stores, taverns, and ferries. Throughout the years, several mission schools, such as Brainerd, near Chattanooga, provided a place for Cherokee children to learn to read and write in English and to attend Christian church services. In many respects, Cherokee The Tennessee Trail of Tears story is one of removal camps and detachment routes. Cherokee driven from their homes in Georgia and North Carolina arrived in Tennessee, where they waited to be organized into “detachments” to take them to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), a home they never wanted. Even so, Tennessee’s legacy today remains rich in Cherokee culture. Tennessee Trail of Tears The “Sun Circle” at Ross’s Landing, Chattanooga Artwork by Harry Fenn The circular Cherokee design to the left symbolizes the holy sun in the form of sacred fire sent by the Creator. The central cross depicts the four logs that keep the sacred fire alive. It is said that the Cherokee will survive as long as the sacred fire burns. Ferry at Chattanooga In 1816, brothers John and Lewis Ross established the settlement of Ross’s Landing. It consisted of a ferry, warehouse, and ferry landing site We are now about to take our final leave and kind farewell to our native land the country that the Great Spirit gave our Fathers, we are on the eve of leaving that Country that gave us birth. It is the land of our fathers…our sons, and it is (with sorrow) that we are forced by the authority of the white man to quit the scenes of our childhood, but stern necessity says we must go, and we bid a final farewell to it and all we hold dear East of the Father of Waters, the Majestic Mississippi. Traveling through Tennessee The detachment of the people are very loth [sic] to go on, and unusually slow in preparing for starting each morning. I am not surprised at this because they are moving not from choice to an unknown region not desired by them. Fort Cass 1838 historic map of the Fort Cass area Highlighted in blue are the removal camps that were spread across the valley. communities did not differ much from those of their American neighbors. In 1838, though, Cherokee life was about to change. Beginning in late May 1838, thousands of Cherokee, enslaved African Americans, and Creek were taken from their homes by troops and held at removal camps near one of three emigrating depots. Two of these camps were located in the vicinity of Cherokee communities in Tennessee: Ross’s Landing, now known as Chattanooga, and Fort Cass in presentday Charleston. During removal, Fort Cass served as the center for the largest emigrating depot. Removal camps in this area were spread out over a 12- by 4-mile area, extending from Charleston southward. Approximately 7,000 Cherokees were held at these camps prior to their departure to Indian Territory, but poor conditions at the camps led to rapid outbreaks of disease, and many perished before the journey began. How many more families would lose their loved ones before reaching their new homes? —Detachment Conductor Elijah Hicks, October 24, 1838 The Cherokee used many different routes to reach their new home in the West—most started in Tennessee. In June, three groups of Cherokee left Ross’s landing to begin their journey to Indian Territory. Dire conditions, disease, and deaths plagued the last two groups. As a result, Principal Chief John Ross and other Cherokee leaders petitioned the US government to allow the Cherokee to control the remainder of their removal. Permission was granted and the remaining Cherokee were organized into detachments of about 1,000 each. MTSU Center for Historic Preservation Cherokee Communities to Removal Camps Museum of the Cherokee Indian MTSU Center for Historic Preservation Toby Darden Road Tennessee Greenways and Trails MTSU Center for Histo

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