One of the greatest tragedies during the expansion of western civilization was the forced removal of thirteen Native American tribes from their native lands. Passed by the U.S. Congress in 1830, the Indian Removal Act, signed into law by President Andrew Jackson would seal the fate of up to 90 thousand Indians. Driven from sacred ancestral homelands, tribes such as the Cherokee were forcibly and relunctantly coerced into relinguishing land east of the Mississippi River. The journey west would become known as "The Trail of Tears."
The Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 opened the floodgates of Euro-American white settlers to pursue America's belief in "Manifest Destiny" which entitled whites to claim land across the American continent. As settlers moved west they encroached on Indian land. "No eastern tribe had struggled harder or more successfully to make white civilization their own. But after gold was discovered on their land, even they were told they would have to start over again in the West" (The West, a documentary by Ken Burns and Stephen Ives).
The treaties beginning in 1791, made peace with the Cherokee Nation which acknowledged the Cherokees as a sovereign nation entitled to protection under the United States of America. The original treaties in place to protect the Cherokee were quickly forgotten when gold was discovered in Georgia in 1828 which led to the Georgia Gold Rush. This same year, Georgia passed into law pronouncing all Cherokee nation laws, null and void. Under unsurmountable, growing white pressure, some Cherokee Indians ceded lands and moved into Arkansas, but many stood their ground. The inaugeration of Andrew Jackson in 1829 would deliver the greatest blow to the natives of this area since the introduction of smallpox. 
With Jackson at the helm, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 which allowed for the appropriation of Indian land. Despite legal attempts by which the Cherokees had legal rights under state laws, new laws were enacted to revoke those rights. The Treaty of New Echota in 1835 offered $5 million for their land, divided the Cherokee Nation. The treaty was signed and beginning in 1838 the U.S. Army began a military campaign to remove the Cherokee west of the Mississippi. At gunpoint and with bayonets at their backs, the Cherokee people began their journey leaving behind the earthen homeland of blood-enriched soil. "We, the great mass of the people think only of the love we have to our land for...we do love the land where we were brought up. We will never let our hold to this land go...to let it go will be like throwing away mother that gave birth" (Letter from Aitooweyah, to John Ross, principle chief of the Cherokees).
During the roundup of the thirteen tribes, the Cherokee stood stubborn and many suffered intolerable acts by the troops. Chief Ross insisted that he lead his people west and the new President, Van Buren agreed. The route west was divided by land and by water. The water route proved deadly as during this time, severe drought impacted the health and welfare.The southern land route had the most travelers. Weather, disease, drought and poor food resulted in daily deaths along the way. "On the morning of 11-17-1838, we encountered a terrific sleet and snow storm with freezing temperatures and from that day until we reached the end of the fateful journey on March the 26th 1839, the sufferings of the Cherokees were aweful" Private John G. Burnett, 2nd Regiment, 2nd Brigade, Mounted Infantry
The travesty of the Indian Removal Act itself was illegal due to current laws already in place to protect the Cherokee Nation as a sovereign government. The scandelous methods government used to steal their land is reprehensible. The Trail of Tears is another of the many stains of barbarism which ultimately led to the creation of the United States of America. Works Cited
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