How The Trail Of Tears Affected The Cherokee Indians

In the 16th century, the Cherokee Indians were classified as the one of the most socially and culturally advanced Native American Tribes. The Trail of Tears forcefully removed the innocent Cherokee tribe from their homelands. In this paper, I will explain the how the Trail of Tears affected the Cherokee Indians. I will do this by explaining the Cherokee Indians life before, what happened during the Trail of Tears, and the Cherokee life after. The Cherokee Indians were strong and unique people. They would “never bow[ed] to any other creature”. They were copper colored, clean, and polite. The Cherokee had a civilized government and individual nation. The men played ball games, hunting and warfare. Europeans were known as “ugly whites”

They tried to adapt as well as they could to their new homeland. They re-established their own system of government, which was modeled after the United States government. John Ross was elected Principle Chief of the new Cherokee Nation. Tahlequah, Oklahoma became the Capital and it is still the headquarters of the Cherokee Nation today. During the tough journey, about 100 Cherokee in Tennessee and North Carolina escaped and where known as the East Band of the Cherokee. They gained recognition in 1866, establishing their tribal government in 1868 in Cherokee, North Carolina. Today, the Cherokee are the second largest Indian nation in the United

“Indian lands were held hostage by the states and the federal government, and Indians had to agree to removal to preserve their identity as tribes.” In the 20th century, the Trail of Tears is still being recognized. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating the Trail of Tears a National Historic Trail and an advisory council to oversee the marking of its routes was established. Several states have museums dedicated to the Trail of Tears. There is also a Trail of Tears State Park in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It preserved some native woodlands, much as they would have appeared to the Cherokee who camped there after crossing the Mississippi. There is also a memorial monument dedicated to all the Cherokees who suffered or died on the horrible journey to Oklahoma. Lastly, there is a Cherokee Trail of Tears Park in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The historic park is “one of the few documented sites of actual trail and campsites used during the forced removal of the Cherokee to Indian Territory.” It is also a burial site of two Cherokee Indians who died on the Trail of