Removal of the Cherokee Nation

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the transportation by force of the Cherokee nation from their native lands to Oklahoma that was mandated by the U.S. government in 1838. While it was Jackson's successor, Martin Van Buren, who would order the forced march that became known as the "Trail of Tears", the policies that led to the forced removal had begun in 1830 under Jackson with the Indian Removal Act. The writer describes the horrors of the march and its devastating effects on the Cherokees as well as the other Indians who were driven out with them. The writer discusses the historical and political background behind the relocation, and the reasons for Jackson's deep-seated hatred and resentment of the Cherokees. The writer also describes the attempts by the Cherokees to negotiate with the U.S. government prior to the march and other circumstances leading up to the march, and concludes with a brief note on what happened to them after their arrival in Oklahoma.

From the Paper:

"The Cherokee nation had, at one time, spanned the territories now known as the Carolinas to Florida and West to Mississippi. Over the course of several millennia, the Cherokee had banded together five tribes, each with its place in a relatively democratic political structure, where respect for the rule of law was absolute, and their culture significantly advanced. Education was paramount, they maintained a very solid and reliable economy, and they maintained the belief that they could successfully co-exist with the Americans. This, of course, would prove to be exceptionally naive when it came to Jackson. Where he had failed in his youth, he was certainly able to get back at the Cherokee decades later."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Harvey, Bonnie C. "The West That Wasn't Won" Christian History. 2000. v19. i2. p36(2).
• McLean, Herbert. "Rediscovering the Trail of Tears". American Forests. Sep / Oct, 1993. v99. i9/10. p26(5).
• Meyers, Jason. "No Idle Past: Uses of History in the 1830 Indian Removal Debates". Historian Fall, 2000. v63. i1, p53(13).
• Prater, B. "The Long, Lonely Walk back to Alabama". Americana. Oct, 1991. v19. i4. p9.
• Zimmer, Pete. "Georgia Admits Fault in Historic Trail of Tears" Indian Life. 1993. v14. i2. p4.

More papers on Removal of the Cherokee Nation:

• Term Paper # 128131 : "The Trail of Tears : The Cherokee Story"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 120483 : "The Cherokee Removal"
• Essay # 31626 : "The Trail of Tears"

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