Cherokees Moving West The Cherokees did not BENEFIT from the trail of tears because most of the cherokees died along the way and they had lost their land that their ancestors had once lived on. They did not have the choice to leave, they were forced out of their lifestyle and the place they once all called home.
The Cherokee Indians were forced to move west known as The Trail of Tears, in the early 1800's
Along the Trail of Tears a wide variety of people traveled along the way such as the Creek, Chowktaws, Cherokees, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes, as well as men, woman, children, and infants.
Some important people that were remembered among the trip were Cheif John Ross (principle cheif of the Cherokee nation), Talsi Wasituna (Cherokee Indian whom rebelled against the act), Cheif Blackhawk (led the Sac and Fox Indians along the trail), and Zeke Proctor (who was the sherif, cherokee senator, farmer, and Trail of Tears survivor).
The Cherokee Indians moved west because Andrew Jackson pursued the policy to remove all Indian tribes from their ancestral land. He did this because he wanted more land for the settlers and speculators.
All the Cherokee Indians were relocated west of the Mississippi River.
Around 4,000 Cherokee Indians perished from hunger, disease, exposure, and attacks from bandits. Some even died after their arrival to their new "home." Around 1,000 Cherokee's escaped to the North Carolina mountains. Those who already owned land and were not part of the tribe as a whole, were not forced to move west. And those who stayed behind formed tribal groups (ex: Eastern Band Cherokee). They couldn't speak out against it, and if any were offered the chance very few did out of fear for their lives. The treaty of Echota was enforced and it stated that they could be payed for their land to move west. The followers of Ross this were soon murdered under this treaty.
In 1839 (June 22nd) 15 years of civil war started amongst the Indians. They served on Thomas's legion which consisted of over 1,100 men both Cherokee and White. They fought in Virginia and won.
Sources:
www.cherokee.org
www.ushistory.org
www.history.com
www.legendofamerica.com
Credits:
Created with images by Lamerie - "odd_trail_of_tears"