Between 1838 and 1839, over 15,000 Cherokee people were forced to march over 800 miles. The Cherokee's dangerous route began in the Appalachian mountains and ended in Oklahoma. Over 4,000 Cherokee people died of starvation, disease and other conflicts along the way. In time, over 20,000 Cherokee, and over 70,000 other Native Americans, walked this route, known as The Trail of Tears. Today, many Cherokee still live in Oklahoma instead of their original tribal home.
Map: Trail of Tears National History Trail courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service.
Standards
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how land acquisition and the resulting border changes of the U.S. impacted the people of the western territories prior to Westward Expansion.
- This indicator was designed to encourage inquiry into the continuities and changes of the experiences of marginalized groups such as African Americans, Native Americans and women, as the U.S. expanded westward and grappled with the development of new states.
