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Trail of Tears summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Trail of Tears.
Infographic map showing the routes of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of five major Native American nations from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory in the 1830s, highlighting 9 states crossed, 5,045 miles traveled, key routes and camps, and major events.
Trail of TearsRoutes, statistics, and notable events of the Trail of Tears.

Trail of Tears, Forced migration in the United States of the Northeast and Southeast Indians during the 1830s. The discovery of gold on Cherokee land in Georgia (1828–29) catalyzed political efforts to divest all Indians east of the Mississippi River of their property. The Indian Removal Act (1830) authorized the U.S. president to negotiate with tribes for land cessions and removal to western territories. Many native people were forced from their homes, and most undertook the westward journey under severe duress. Some 15,000 died of exposure and disease on the journey, which became known as the Trail of Tears. Although the Trail of Tears is most closely associated with the Cherokee specifically and the Southeast tribes more generally, perhaps one-third to one-half of the 100,000 people removed were Northeast Indians.