Trail Of Tears Research Paper

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The Damage of the Trail of Tears 1800 to 1850 Abstract The Trail of Tears: The Devastation of a Culture At the beginning of the 1830's , 125,000 Native Americans lived in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida. They lived amongst the Americans and some were also forced to be “civilized” by teaching them about Christianity, how to own their own land, and have their own, economy. Five of the tribes decided to embrace these Americans customs, but it wasn't long before America passed the Indian Removal Act and forced all Indians to move to the other side of the Mississippi river. They had to leave everything they had behind, crops,family,spiritual grounds, and everything in between. They were forced to leave without any…show more content…
The lived happily amongst each other because of a share in culture. This culture however was destroyed in the early nineteenth century when under the command of Andrew Jackson, they were forced to relocate on the west side of the Mississippi River with no supplies or help. This long deadly walk was named The Trail of Tears by the people and there is no better name to describe the emotional toll it took on these people. This walk stretched about 800 miles and lasted 6 months of sickness, cold, and starvation. Andrew Jackson is the infamous president who through his beliefs pushed a treaty upon the indians that would force them to move. Parts of the Cherokee nation were beginning to become of part of everyday american society by converting to christianity, learning english, and even leaving their tribe to be among the new settlers of this world. Cherokee tribes were already beginning to separate and either give up their old traditions for new english ones or they chose to live amongst the englishmen and remove themselves from their own culture. It was a time of confusion, anger, betrayal, and most importantly the beginning of the downfall of a long living culture. Even for the American Indians who chose to give up their ways Andrew Jackson refused to have exceptions when he pushed the relocation of all indians. The indian culture was already beginning to fade by tribes adopting modern custom and the trail of tears only separated indian culture even further. This event would ultimately leave a footprint on the lives of all native americans and change their lives. Their culture will never be the

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