Trail of Tears Analysis

The migration process was referred to as such because of the devastating effects that it had to the individuals. For instance, they encountered challenges like extreme hunger, terrible diseases, and exhaustion. In addition, approximately 50,000 individuals lost their lives due to commotions and diseases during the journey (Cave, 2003). Considering these factors, the trail of tears is such a memorable historical event due to the stern effect it had to the Native American Communities through their passage of this transforming ordeal. In a signed treaty, the Native American Communities in their pursuit of necessary survival ways as to the Europeans and for promises of better land and wealth, Cherokee leaders sealed their fate when the U. S. began treaty negotiations with the Cherokees which their leaders confirmed to that paved way for the Americans to move onto their land and forcefully evict them when the state of Georgia passed the law that stated, “as of June 1, 1830, the Cherokee Nation would no longer be seen as a nation to the state of Georgia.

” However, Cherokee was then overthrown losing their control over their own land when gold was discovered by Hernando DeSoto in their territory, which was termed as the gold rush (Morsberger, 178). With the hope of getting rich, and wealth at stake, miners invaded their lands and got the gold easily as it was in streams and on the ground with an approximate production of 300 ounces of gold on a daily basis. With this activity going on, the Cherokee land was being destroyed and the Cherokee people also complained of being attacked and beaten by the miners with their plea of help not being answered to with the U. S president if the Cherokee people could oversee their removal (Morsberger, 178). This request was granted but the soldiers were to remain with them throughout the journey.

The journey of 1,000 miles to the west then began during the winter of 1838 in Red Clay, Tennesse which was the Eastern Capital of the Cherokee. Their eviction was carried out in two ways which were by water and by land. Cherokees who were to take land routes were divided into groups of 700-1600 people in a group being led by conductors that Chief Ross had appointed. As a result of signing the Echota treaty, the leaders Major Ridge, together with his son John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot were killed for treason reason and political turmoil with just Stand Watie escaping the death. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees are believed by scholars to have died throughout the eviction journey though, recent calculations state that this eviction cost 10,000 lives of the Cherokee people if they hadn’t been evicted (Morsberger, 178).

Having faced such intense hostility throughout this journey that was filled with tears and surviving the forced eviction as a bitter pill, throughout Georgia and North Carolina led by the Ridge, forced onto them by the federal government and a state that never recognized any justice on them, Cherokees found their rest in Oklahoma with a fourth of their population dead and a lost. The investments they had in what they had regarded as their homeland in Southeastern America was now a void memory in them. Their solid nature of culture the western and eastern Cherokee nations reunited and birthed a strong nation irrespective of their experience on cultural differentiation displayed by the United States citizens upon them even after adopting the assimilation policies of the government of United States, a constitution framed in a western style, and yet deduced to such a condition was surely devastating.