Trail of Tears

Many articles have been written about the Trail of Tears, the long journey of the removal of the Cherokee Indians from their native homeland in northern Georgia to their new homeland in Oklahoma. This was one of the most tragic and cruel endeavors of our U.S. government that I have ever read about.



The Cherokee Indian Nation (about 25,000 people) ruled over a vast 135,000 square miles of what is now 8 states from 1450 to 1838. They lived in peace and granted the white man the right to also come and live in peace. By 1828 the Cherokee Nation had learned many of the European customs, built schools for their children, lived in log cabins, had churches, had their own style of government, and were farmers and cattle ranchers.

But peace was not meant to be for these people. From 1684 until 1835, there were more than thirty treaties with the U.S. government which chipped away at their vast holdings. When gold was found on their land, the white man's greed and lust went wild, and the greedy men wanted all the land. Thus began a series of events which forced the Cherokee Nation out of Georgia. In 1830 Congress passed the "Indian Removal Act" signed by President Jackson. The Cherokee fought back and in 1832 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Cherokee Nation was sovereign, making the removal laws invalid. This meant that the Cherokee Nation would have to agree to removal by a treaty, and then the treaty would have to be ratified by the Senate.



In 1825 New Echota was named capital of the Cherokee Nation. This was the government headquarters for the independent Indian Nation which once covered northern Georgia and four parts of the southeastern states. John Ross was the first and only elected Chief of the Cherokee Nation from the time it was formed in 1828 until his death in 1866. He acted as a liason between the missionaries, R. J. Miegs (the Indian Agent), and the tribal council. He was only one-eighth Cherokee, but a very prominent, well-educated man liked by his people.



Major Ridge played another very important part in the Cherokee Nation. He was in charge of the first Cherokee police (Lighthorse Patrol), and served as Chief Ross's "counselor" for seven years advising him on matters of council. Major Ridge was struggling to adapt to the white man's culture but still wanted to retain his Indian heritage. In the end he was forever doomed as a "betrayer" to the Cherokee Nation which was punishable by death.

In 1832 Georgia had a land lottery and gave the Cherokee land to the whites who had moved into the territory. The Cherokee Nation broke into two parts. Chief John Ross led the largest group against removal from this land; while Major Ridge, his son John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot led a small group of about 500 supporting the removal from his land. Major Ridge and his supporters signed the Treaty of New Echota on December 29, 1835 to move in exchange for five million dollars. The U.S. government was fully aware that Major Ridge was the minority, but validated the treaty. This was the legal document that President Jackson needed and he rushed it through the U. S. Senate. Chief Ross and his followers had lost their battle. Even Chief Junaluska who had saved President Jackson's life during the Horse Shoe Bend battle tried to intervene and talked to the President. But Jackson was cold and indifferent to him, stating "the Cherokee's fate is sealed - there is nothing I can do."

After signing the treaty, the Ridge family and hundreds of other Cherokees immediately moved to their new home in Oklahoma. Major Ridge stated, "I have just signed my death warrant." He knew the act was punishable by death since he had not interacted with the tribal council and did not have their consent on this matter.



The quest was over and the Cherokee would soon embark on the Journey of the Trail of Tears. The first Cherokee round-up started May 25, 1838 under the orders of U.S. General Winfield Scott with General Charles Floyd in charge of field operations. General Scott ordered that troops would treat the tribal members with kindness and humanity, free from every restraint of violence. Scott's orders were disobeyed by most troops not directly under his command. Each Cherokee person was to receive meat, flour or corn regardless of his/her age as preparations for this long journey.

The Georgia Guard located the Cherokee homes and entered them forcing the residents to leave. Food for the Cherokees was sold to local settlers. Cherokee belongings were sold and stolen from them. Many were forced from their homes without any time to allow them to get their belongings together. Fort-like prisons were built to keep the Cherokee in until their long journey. These living areas were filled with excrement and filth. Cherokee women and children were repeatedly raped. The soldiers forced the captives to perform acts of depravation so disgusting it cannot be told. They were subjected to this horrible cruelty for up to 5 months before the 1200 mile journey started.



On October 18, 1938 the troops were ordered to move the Cherokee to their new land. Over 600 wagons, steamers, and keel boats moved about 16,000 Cherokee by land and by river. The journey ended March 26, 1839. Over 4000 lives were lost due to sleet and snow storms, freezing temperatures, cholera, disease, torrential rains, and broken hearts. This was described by one soldier as "the cruelest work I ever knew."

We know this journey as the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee translation is Nunna daul Tsuny (The Trail Where They Cried). It is no wonder that the Indians say "so many happy memories before the "white locust" came, but so many deaths and tears after the coming of the "white locust."

My question: "How can the spirit of the earth like the white man?......Everywhere the white man has touched it, it is sore."







My Other Pages

Native American Ten Commandments
I Am Not Better Than You
A Native American Prayer
Poem-Trail of Tears
Princess