What was the “Trail of Tears”?

The "Trail of Tears" refers to the forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands, a tragic event in American history that took place during the late 1830s. Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which allowed the U.S. government to negotiate treaties that would require Native American tribes to move west of the Mississippi River, thousands of Cherokee people were uprooted from their homes in Georgia and surrounding states. The march to the designated Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) was marked by extreme hardship, disease, and death, resulting in thousands of Cherokee losing their lives along the way. This event is significant as it highlights the impact of U.S. policies on Native American populations and serves as a powerful example of the injustices faced by indigenous peoples during westward expansion.