The Trail of Tears was named so because of its devastating effects to the Cherokee nation. They were removed for one main reason, so their land could be used by the white men. Nobody had the right to take away their land. The land had been theirs since before the Europeans came and now they were being forcibly removed from it. On top of that, soldiers forced them to travel in the winter, causing thousands of Native Americans to die. Even the soldiers escorting them felt bad for them, but they had to follow orders. Native Americans had long lived in settlements stretching from Georgia to Mississippi. However, President Jackson and other political leaders wanted to open this land to settlement by American farmers. Under pressure from Jackson, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Congress then established Indian Territory (land in what is now Oklahoma) and planned to move Native Americans there. I find this unjust for many reasons. First off, you are taking thousands of acres of land that belong to someone else and forcing them to move to a place where they are only given a few acres. Then, after they are removed, you take their businesses, farms, and property. …show more content…
They were being treated like animals. They had to travel in the freezing winter with sleet and snow beating down on their backs. They either had to sleep in the wagons with many others or outside on the ground without a fire. The cause of death for many of the Cherokee was pneumonia from the cold and exposure. The Cherokee were obviously not happy leaving their land and being forced to travel west. This is apparent in the painting The Trail of Tears by Robert Lindneux, where you can see the sadness in their eyes and body