1/4 of the Cherokee Nation Died During the Trail
Cherokees died during the Trail of Tears
The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears
Prior to the signing of the Indian Removal Act, the Cherokee Nation was already losing a large percentage of their ancestral lands to colonizers and the United States government. By 1830, they had their own written language, constitution and government system to enforce Cherokee laws, as a way of avoiding cultural destruction.
When Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act that year, Cherokee leaders could not agree on how to protect their remaining land. In 1935, this disagreement was taken advantage of and the U.S. government had convinced a group of leaders to sign the Treaty of New Echota. This treaty forced the Cherokee Native Americans to give up all of their land and migrate west of the Mississippi River.
When Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act that year, Cherokee leaders could not agree on how to protect their remaining land. In 1935, this disagreement was taken advantage of and the U.S. government had convinced a group of leaders to sign the Treaty of New Echota. This treaty forced the Cherokee Native Americans to give up all of their land and migrate west of the Mississippi River.