The Forced Removal of the Five Civilized Tribes - The Trail of Tears

Reads like a high school history book. Lots of facts and dates presented in a very boring way. I have read many books about american history and native americans in particular, but I could not get past the second chapter.

Yesterday's newspaper had an advertisement for the Pow Wow to be held at the Trail of Tears park the first weekend in September. There will be dancing, story telling, crafts, food and only Heaven knows what else. But for me there will be memories. Do people really take the time to understand how the park got its' name? If they did there would be less laughter.
When Thomas Jefferson considered acquiring the Louisiana Purchase he made a list of reasons he wanted it. One of those reasons was to move the Native Americans away from the European settlers. Previously there was an unwritten agreement for Indians to settle between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. TJ didn't know about the tribes west of the Mississippi, but I doubt that he cared. He just knew things were getting crowded in our New World and his constituents would be safer if he could move 'certain' people farther away. Let THEM worry about the new neighborhood.
I've told you about this word I can't (and won't) spell before. What part of your crispy bacon do you like best, the meat or the fat? It's a good thing I have low cholesterol, because I like the fat. There's a word almost every tribe used (some still use) for the settlers and their dependents. It means steals the fat.
In other words, the folks who were here first said the new guys wanted all the best parts for themselves. The five civilized tribes, the tribes who tried to help the new guys, who learned English, who learned to live side by side, who became guides, or worked with the army to protect the settlers from other tribes ( that would be the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chocktaw, Creek and Seminole ). Many members of these tribes converted to Christianity. Some patterned their governments after our federal government.
When soldiers moved in to forcibly remove them they filed legal suits with the Supreme Court. After all, a reservation is not state property, it's federal property.
But since their government is not a foreign government, but a government they created, well, I'll let you guess. But I will tell you that President Andrew Jackson defied the Supreme Court and removed the Cherokee and everyone else. He created a brand new treaty with the Cherokee that HE signed, but that remains unsigned by any Cherokee representative to this day.
My great-grandmother grew up in North Carolina. This book doesn't tell you how a reservation came to be established there (legally it's called a land trust. Picky, picky.) A Cherokee man named Tsali ( white books give his name as Charlie.) and his brothers told the soldiers they would help find the people who were hiding in the mountains. Instead he led them on a wild goose chase. That gave the people time to hide in caves the soldiers would probably never find. By the time the soldiers figured it out it was dark and they were already late for meeting the group down south.
Tsali and his brothers were lynched. That story was passed down.
The Cherokee were not the only ones to suffer. The government was so intent on getting the Seminoles l e out of Florida they had three wars with them. Did you read about that in your American history book? I sure didn't
The Creek were told they could stay behind and sell their property. Do you really think THAT was the truth?
Their tribe outlawed Christianity when a missionary, well, you just guess what the missionary did. Eventually God was allowed in their homes again. God, not missionaries.
The most important part to read is the last several pages. It was written by a soldier who accompanied one of the tribes on their trip. That section shows you both the best and the worst of humanity.

This is another sad story about the plight of First Americans and their forced move from the Southern States to Indian Territory Okolona by General Winfield Scott with blessings from President Andrew Jackson. Indian men were arrested and driven into stockades; Women were dragged from their homes into stockades with the sky for blankest. The old were prodded with bayonets to hasten them into stockades over four thousand Cherokee’s Choctaw’s and Creek’s lost their lives in this forced evacuation, no wander it is called “The Trail of Tears” experienced by the Cherokee, Creeks, Choctaw who were forced to leave their ancestral hones and most of their possessions over eight thousand lost their lives but it was better than the genocide practiced by some solders and whites in the Plains and West. The forced removal from their original land is repeated time and time again by our government as soon as whites found riches or good land the Indians lost When Gold was found on Cherokee land Georgia passed laws restricting Cherokee rights to the land and authorized forced removal of them from their land. The Cherokees fought back by appealing to the president Andrew Jackson and Congress and sought an injunction to halt the repressive Georgia laws. The case was heard by the Supreme Court who was sympatric to the Cherokee’s problem. The court flip/flopped first refusing to hear the injunction then ruled that the Cherokee nation was a separate political entity the court overturned Georgia law on the basis that states were not authorized to negotiate the terms of use of Native American Lands. Both the state of Georgia and President Andrew Jackson ignored the ruling Jacksons quotes John Marshall has made his decision now let him enforce it. Jackson ignored what Marshal (the Supreme Court) said and moved ahead with the Indian Removal. This was a stunning and dangerous break with American Constitutional Law. Jackson had essentially argued that since the court had no way of enforcing its mandates, the President was free to do as he pleased. (Sound familiar?) The Cherokees were forced along three separate trails that utilized both overland and water routes and averaged 1,200 miles it was carried out by 7000 federal troops. The book documents another sad chapter on American Indian Policy.

I am only one-eighth percent Cherokee. I have been researching my genealogy and trying to go back as many generations as I can. I learned about the Trail of Tears from my Aunt. I could believe that a great country like ours could treat human beings so viciously. Then thinking about African-American slaves, well, yes, I could! This book and others like it tell the facts of the cruelties of which our government and our Presidents put Our People to. These care facts that need to be read in all our schools, and I would recommend this book as the one to to be used!

SeA tragedy of our history. Similar to others abused by the government in the quest of their supposed manifest destiny. This is a good read for history buffs and those interested in sociology of our nation. It is also a timely reminder that our government can and has wrongly acted against our citizens. In the political climate of 2017, I am fearful that history is repeating the injustice of the past. e above please

Everyone should read this factual version of "The Trail of Tears" to understand what happened in the years before all the Indian Tribes were forced to leave their land and homes. It is eye opening to find out the highest level politicians that were involved in the decisions to make it happen. It is a good read!

Even though I was very angry reading this book, I gave it 5 stars because it was filled with truth. I'm ashamed to be of the white race, I wish I were an Indian, maybe I am at heart. My husband is part Cherokee and I'm proud to be his wife. The truth is the whites were greedy! One day God will right all the wrongs.

This book is very informative on the events that lead up to the forced removal of the Cherokee. It tells all about President Andrew Jackson's role in this atrocity before, during, and after he was President. I only wish there had been more accounts of the forced March by Cherokee people who experienced it and/or their descendents.

This was best book written explaining all of the treaties and what happened to the five tribes as they were relocated and devolved into what is left of the tribes. The resilience is remarkable. Loved this book!

This is the sad story of our American history. As a child I visited Cherokee and still found poverty and mistreated Indians. Thank goodness they are now being taught the true history of their past.

This book was not well written. Very little about the trail of tears. It went on and on about the one's who made the Indians go, when I see a book that says trail of tears, forced removal, I would like for it to be about what the Indians went through, this whole book went on about a lot of nothing. Writer could have made the book shorter.

This book goes in great details about the many treaties that were broken by the US Government. It is easy to read and had me in tears many times. I hope that we will NEVER again allow this sort of behavior toward Native Americans by the Federal or local government.

As part Cherokee my heart cries eternally. THe crimes are too great to ignore. My great grandfather was hung confederate soldiers for the crime of being married to a white woman. That has haunted my family for eternity.

This really opened my eyes as to the treatment of the Native Americans. My great grandfather was on the Trail of Tears. This gave me some websites to go to for additional stories. I would like to read more.

Good synapse of a dark time in America's history. Wish it would of given more details about the executive order Jackson used to undermine the Supreme Court. Did not have any information on the ones like Draggingcanew.

The trail of tears is an historic event that deserves to be remembered. In Cherokee, NC the story is performed in an outdoor amphitheater. It is hard to watch or read about without crying. There is also the element of betrayal by some men considered heroes by the Europeans. This book gets as close to the truth as we are going to get. It should be required reading in junior high.

Every American should read this book to see how cruel and heartless America's founding whites really were. The sad history of the indigenous people remains a big red stain on the white men who invaded and colonized North America. Americans pride themselves on being better than others, this book shows how the country was founded on greed, cruelty and pure unabashed evil. Perhaps this book can help us to see our errors and how we could be better.

This book showed the sad and distasteful truth of American government and citizens greedy for power and land that didn't belong to them. The native people whom assumed the civilized life and kept believing the treaties of our forefathers to be the only way to create peace between these two completely different cultures. However as you read this book you will for, your own opinion just remember the Native Americans rarely if ever had someone speak up for them and say their truths on this matter!

I reached the educational height of Ph.d. and was taught nothing of the forced relocation of the five tribes from their heritage lands. My "Knowledge of Indians was the movie theme /of wild cretins who killed innocent white land/seeking pioneers and the Cavalry to the rescue; This book/ should be in every school iibrary,