Trail of Tears

The Indian Removal Act
and the Trail of Tears

One of America's darkest moments

What you should know!!
Andrew Jackson

• Patriotic War Hero - Battle of New Orleans

• "Commoner" who became President - born in KY

• Spoils system - giving gov't jobs to loyal supporters

• Closed Bank of US

• but there is one more extremely significant event...

• ​7th President

• Controversial with his actions

• Example Action: Indian Removal Act of 1830

​Let's jump to 1829

​Andrew Jackson's face appears on which dollar bill?

Multiple Choice

Review question:

What is manifest destiny?

• American settlers were meant to expand northwards

• American settlers were meant to expand westwards

• American settlers were always meant to expand into South America

• American settlers were always meant to remain within its original colonies

Draw

In another tab, look up when FLORIDA became a territory of the United States.

Write the year on the map.

​No one will get in the way

​Many different tribes existed in the US

• ​the federal government wanted more land.

• Andrew Jackson and his supporters

  • Saw them as a problem & in the way of expanding that land.

  • Fixing the problem: "get rid of them and push them further west"

Indian Removal is Made Offical...

• Indian Removal Act - passed in 1830

• Gave Presidential power to negotiate removal treaties with tribes living in the Mississippi River.

• Tribes could exchange their lands in the east = lands in the west.

In one of the saddest episodes of our history, men, women, and children of the Cherokee nation were taken from their land, herded into makeshift forts with minimal facilities and food, and then forced to march thousands of miles to their new, unfamiliar home.

​

A Sad Event.....

Draw

Carefully look at this picture: Circle two things that stand out to you!

​- Name of Author

In the fall of 1838, with federal troops and Missionaries, one of the largest Cherokee groups left Tennessee following a northern route arriving in the Indian Territory by March of 1839.

​

Land Routes

Open Ended

Based on the map evidence, list two challenges you think they faced while making a land journey on foot.

Open Ended

Find the Water Route. What advantages do you think this route may have had over the land route? How might it have been more difficult than traveling over land? Cite evidence in the map to support your answer.

Open Ended

If you were part of a Cherokee group faced with the choice of the land or water route, would you want to travel?

Draw

Circle two things you notice

​A trail of death...

• ​Cherokee natives were held against their will

• forced from their homes with only what they could carry

• 4,000 Cherokee died

  • Famine, Disease, harsh living conditions, & exhaustion

  • Had to walk all day with little to no rest

This event will be known as "The Trail of Tears"

Poll

True or false? The United States government kept their promise from 1819 that Cherokee lands were not allowed to be taken away by white settlers.

• True

• False

What modern-day state were the Native Americans relocated to?

​Within 10 years of the Indian Removal Act

70,000 Natives from various different tribes had moved across the Mississippi.

by 1837 most members of the Southeastern Indian tribes had been relocated west.

Opening 25,000,000 acres in the south to white settlers and to slavery.

In what the government declared as a way to "Ensure peace"

A final destination....

Open Ended

Thinking about what you learned....

what was the "Trail of Tears"?

Poll

Question for you...

After learning about the events led by Andrew Jackson's passing of the Indian Removal Act, do you think his picture should still be on our country's currency (money)?

• Yes, he should be removed.

• No, he should stay

Packet pg 17 (Pink) 21

Fill in the notes on packet pg using some of the following words

Migration

4000

10000

Colorado

Trail of Tears

Manifest Destiny

Native American

Right

East

Continent

Mississippi

Jackson

Duty

Treaties