Remembering the Trail of Tears

Like so many other Indigenous groups, the Cherokee people have lived in what is now the United States for thousands of years. But by the 1800s, White settlers had taken over most Native homelands on the East Coast and were pushing west and south, where tens of thousands of Indigenous people still lived. 

At that time, the heart of the Cherokee Nation overlapped with the state of Georgia. Cherokee leaders had signed treaties with the U.S. government to keep at least some of their land there. But settlers pushed into their territory in the 1820s and 1830s anyway—especially after gold was discovered in Georgia. 

The Cherokee Nation adopted a constitution in 1827, hoping to protect its land by emphasizing that it was an independent nation. But Georgia officials insisted that Cherokee citizens still had to follow state laws. Violating the tribe’s treaties with the U.S. government, Georgia leaders announced that they were forcibly taking over the Cherokee Nation’s territory. 

Around the same time, in 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. The law let U.S. President Andrew Jackson negotiate removal treaties. The goal was to get Indigenous groups in the Southeastern U.S. to move west so that settlers could take over their land.

The Cherokee people and so many other Indigenous groups have lived in what is now the United States for thousands of years. But by the 1800s, White settlers had taken over most Native homelands on the East Coast. They were pushing west and south, where tens of thousands of Indigenous people still lived.

At that time, the heart of the Cherokee Nation overlapped with the state of Georgia. Cherokee leaders had signed treaties with the U.S. government to keep at least some of their land there. But settlers still pushed into their territory in the 1820s and 1830s—especially after gold was found in Georgia.

The Cherokee Nation adopted a constitution in 1827, hoping to protect its land. The constitution stated that Cherokee land was an independent nation. But Georgia officials insisted that Cherokee citizens still had to follow state laws. Georgia leaders broke the tribe’s treaties with the U.S. government. They announced that they were taking over the Cherokee Nation’s territory with force.

In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. That law let U.S. President Andrew Jackson bargain relocation agreements. The goal was to get Indigenous groups in the Southeastern U.S. to move west so that settlers could take over their land.

Still hoping to save its homeland, the Cherokee Nation appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Georgia from taking control of its territory. In 1832, the Court sided with the Cherokee people, ruling that the state could not take their land and force its laws on them because they were a sovereign nation with a legitimate right to their territory. 

But in the end, that victory didn’t matter. Georgia officials ignored the Court’s ruling and President Jackson refused to enforce it. Convinced that there was no hope, a small group of Cherokee people who claimed to represent their nation signed a removal treaty with the U.S. government in 1835. In it, they exchanged all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi River for money and territory to the west. In 1836, Congress approved the treaty, giving the Cherokee people two years to head west.

But the Cherokee group that had signed the treaty had no authority and did not speak for the majority of Cherokee citizens, who wanted to stay. Principal Chief John Ross and thousands of other Cherokee people signed a petition asking Congress to reject the agreement, saying it did not represent the will of their nation. The petition failed.

Most Cherokee citizens refused to leave. So in 1838, U.S. President Martin Van Buren, who had taken office the year before, ordered their removal. Thousands of U.S. Army soldiers burst into Cherokee homes and herded residents like animals into camps. About 16,000 individuals had no choice but to leave the homeland of their ancestors. 

Soon they were forced to march an average of 1,000 miles to present-day Oklahoma. Along the way, an estimated 4,000 Cherokee people died from starvation, disease, and exposure to the bitter cold. 

Meanwhile, citizens of four other Indigenous nations—the Creek, the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, and the Seminole—were made to follow their own Trail of Tears to the area that would become Oklahoma. In all, about 100,000 Indigenous people were forced off their land in the Southeast during the 1830s.

The Cherokee Nation still hoped to save its homeland. It appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Georgia from taking control of its territory. In 1832, the Court sided with the Cherokee people. The Court ruled that the state could not take their land and force its laws on them because they were a sovereign nation with a lawful right to their territory.

But in the end, that victory did not matter. Georgia officials ignored the Court’s ruling. President Jackson refused to enforce it. Convinced that there was no hope, a small group of Cherokee people who claimed to represent their nation signed a removal treaty with the U.S. government in 1835. In it, they exchanged all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi for money and territory to the west. Congress approved the treaty in 1836. It gave the Cherokee people two years to head west.

But the Cherokee group that had signed the treaty had no authority. It did not speak for most Cherokee citizens, who wanted to stay. Principal Chief John Ross and thousands of other Cherokee people signed a petition asking Congress to reject the agreement. They said it did not represent the will of their nation. The petition failed.

Most Cherokee citizens refused to leave. U.S. President Martin Van Buren took office in 1837. In 1838, he ordered the Cherokees’ removal. Thousands of U.S. Army soldiers burst into Cherokee homes. They herded residents like animals into camps. More than 16,000 individuals had no choice but to leave the homeland of their ancestors.

Soon they were forced to march an average of 1,000 miles to present-day Oklahoma. Along the way, an estimated 4,000 Cherokee people died from starvation, disease, and exposure to the bitter cold.

Meanwhile, citizens of four other Indigenous nations—the Creek, the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, and the Seminole—faced the same fate. They were made to follow their own Trail of Tears to the area that would become Oklahoma. In all, about 100,000 Indigenous people were forced off their land in the Southeast during the 1830s.

During this year’s Remember the Removal Bike Ride, the cyclists stopped at historical sites to learn more about the hardships their ancestors faced.

“It’s heartbreaking to see firsthand,” Roach says.

Despite the tragedy of the Trail of Tears, many Cherokee people rebuilt their lives west of the Mississippi River (see slideshow, above). Today, Chuck Hoskin Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. He says it’s important to learn the story of his ancestors.

“They had great determination, and they overcame great obstacles,” Hoskin says. “Any young person would benefit from thinking about what our people went through, whether you’re Cherokee or not.”

Roach agrees that everyone should know about this sad chapter in American history.

“The ride brings awareness that Cherokee people are still here,” she says. “We’re strong and resilient.”

During this year’s Remember the Removal Bike Ride, the cyclists stopped at historical sites to learn more about the hardships their ancestors faced.

“It’s heartbreaking to see firsthand,” Roach says.

Despite the tragedy of the Trail of Tears, many Cherokee people rebuilt their lives west of the Mississippi River (see slideshow, above). Today, Chuck Hoskin Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. He says it is important to learn the story of his ancestors.

“They had great determination, and they overcame great obstacles,” Hoskin says. “Any young person would benefit from thinking about what our people went through, whether you’re Cherokee or not.”

Roach agrees that everyone should know about this sad chapter in American history.

“The ride brings awareness that Cherokee people are still here,” she says. “We’re strong and resilient.”