Trail Of Tears Vs Gentrification

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For the last 170 years, maybe longer, there has been a recurring displacement of local inhabitants from their native land or community. Motives ranging from greed in relations to an expansion of land and wealth or just wanting a change in “scenery”. While such actions can indeed have a positive outcome on the person doing the action it may not work out for the people it's happening to. Such examples are The Trail of Tears & the modern day Gentrification of the Chicago South Side. The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans from their native land in Southeastern U.S to the Mississippi River. While gentrification is the removal of lower income minorities from a deteriorated urban neighborhood in hopes to “revive …show more content…

The Trail of Tears occurred in 1838 and was put in play by the then reigning President Andrew Jackson. “Gold fever” and a thirst for expansion by the white population made them turn on there Cherokee neighbors. The Native Americans and white settlers had once tried to live in harmony even with the altering of their culture, but the greed and unfortunate disapproval of the Native Americans and their way of life made the whites want to have a further disconnection from them. Many people opposed the removal and even had court cases to try and appeal the removal. People such as Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and Chief John Ross, who was of Cherokee descent. But these voices would go unheard and under the order of the President the U.S Army began The Removal Act of the 5 Civilized tribes in the summer of 1838. Cherokee, Muscogee, Choctaw, Seminole and the Chickasaw Tribes, were taken from the homes, nothing in hand, no possessions, no food, just the clothes on their backs and was forced onto wagons and many were made to walk the 2,200 miles to The Mississippi River. With the land that was taken from them it was used for trade, slavery, and cotton growing since the weather that they were being moved from was …show more content…

As for gentrification moving a minority of people from their homes and replacing them with unreasonably priced condos and such and making new and wealthy people move in making it nearly impossible for the original residents to live there. They both have to do with a disbandment of people, and others moving in to do something “better” with what was left. When really these things were way better and well kept before they were ever interfered