The Story of the Trail of Tears

In the centuries long story of the European war of extermination against the Native Americans, there is none sadder than what was done to the Cherokees. The most "civilized" of the Native American tribes, they had a written language, a tribal government modeled on that of the United States and had been allied with General Andrew Jackson in the war against the Creek tribes. However, President Andrew Jackson demonstrated that he harbored deep hostility against all Native Americans. When gold was discovered in Cherokee lands and white settlers began violent encroachments, Jackson moved to remove the Cherokees. The Cherokees fought back using the American federal judicial system and the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. When the court under Justice John Marshall ruled that the Federal Government must protect Cherokee property rights, President Jackson's response was, "John Marshall has rendered his decision; now let him enforce it." He then ordered the forcible removal of the Cherokees from their ancestral home in Georgia to the "Indian Territory" of Oklahoma. Allowed little time to prepare and forced to walk, approximately one-fourth of the Cherokees died on the journey. This journey has gone down in history as the "trail of tears." This book is an excellent explanation of the forcible relocation of the Cherokees, how they tried to cohabitate with the whites, adopting much of the European culture and social traditions. However, nothing could change their racial structure or the insatiable desire of the Europeans for land, gold and their firm beliefs that the Native Americans were less than human. It will always be a sad example of what can go wrong in the United States and every child should be exposed to this event. This book should be required reading in elementary school history classes. It is an element of the "Cornerstones of Freedom" series and you understand the value of freedom by studying the times when it was devalued.

The book is an excellent choice for those of a younger age wanting to understand an unsettling portion of American history. Well written and illustrated.

This is a nice, brief retelling of what the Trail of Tears was, who was involved, and how terrible it was. It all began with the discovery of gold on the Cherokee lands in Georgia, which had been granted to them by treaty with the United States government. The state of Georgia wanted the land and the gold. As one of the "Five Civilized Tribes," the Cherokees tried to fight for their rights through the legal system. They brought a lawsuit to the Georgia state court, which ruled against them. They appealed the ruling and their case was taken all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in 1832 that the US government had to honor its treaty and white people were to stay out of Cherokee lands. But even with the Supreme Court supporting them, President Jackson refused to help. Instead, he put through the Indian Removal Act, which started the forced removal of all Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River. The Cherokees were forced to march 800 miles from their homes in Georgia all the way to Oklahoma Territory. Along the Trail of Tears, hundreds died. The Cherokee and other tribes were promised a permanent home in Oklahoma Territory. But in what proved to be the ultimate slap in the face, within thirty years the Federal government opened Oklahoma to white people for settlement. This is one of the most shameful epidsodes in United States history.... The book is bright and colorful, filled with period photographs and art, as well as original drawings showing the hardships of the Trail. The text is easy reading at about a fourth grade level. It makes an excellent supplement to history class, and it opens the door to critically thinking about several issues: The role and authority of the Supreme Court The authority and responsibility of the President How well the US government honors/dishonors its treaties Treatment of Native Americans in the past and today