Trai l of TearsTrai l of Tears

The Trail where the last Indians The Trail where the last Indians cried…cried…

and died.and died.

This is John Ross. What do youThis is John Ross. What do younotice about this man?notice about this man?

QuickTimeª and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

The Indian Life The Indian Life

Living as nomads Living as nomads

( , )Hunters Sioux Cherokees ( , )Hunters Sioux Cherokees

The Cherokee IndiansThe Cherokee Indians

Cherokee comes fromCherokee comes from Muskogee Muskogee Speakers of another Speakers of another languagelanguage

Original name = Original name = AniyunwiyaAniyunwiya (the (the principal one)principal one)

Ideas of Indians Ideas of Indians

and Americans and Americans

Indians Indians Land is not for sale, it Land is not for sale, it

belongs to everyonebelongs to everyone Live on the land they got Live on the land they got

from a higher Spiritfrom a higher Spirit

AmericansAmericans Land is to buy and to Land is to buy and to

own.own. Buy land to find gold Buy land to find gold

and other resourcesand other resources

An Indian saying about LandAn Indian saying about Land

Being Indian is an attitude, a state of mind, a Being Indian is an attitude, a state of mind, a way of being in harmony with all things and all way of being in harmony with all things and all

beings. It is allowing the heart to be the beings. It is allowing the heart to be the distributor of energy on this planet; to allow distributor of energy on this planet; to allow feelings and sensitivities to determine where feelings and sensitivities to determine where

energy goes; bringing aliveness up from the Earth energy goes; bringing aliveness up from the Earth and from the Sky, putting it in and giving it out and from the Sky, putting it in and giving it out

from the heart."  from the heart."  - Brooke Medicine Eagle - Brooke Medicine Eagle

They called them this They called them this because they gave up many because they gave up many of their ways to live of their ways to live peacefully with the whitespeacefully with the whites

Most had given up hunting Most had given up hunting to become farmersto become farmers

Many had learned to read Many had learned to read and writeand writeThe Cherokee even had The Cherokee even had their own written language, their own written language, a newspaper, and a a newspaper, and a constitution modeled on the constitution modeled on the U.S. ConstitutionU.S. Constitution

Name given by whites Name given by whites to the Creek, Cherokee, to the Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminoleand Seminole

““The Five Civilized Tribes”The Five Civilized Tribes”

QuickTimeª and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Hunting and Collecting Hunting and Collecting

CherokeesCherokees

Men Men Hunters Hunters

WomenWomen Farmers Farmers

The Living Places of the CherokeesThe Living Places of the Cherokees

GeorgiaGeorgia North and South CarolinaNorth and South Carolina KentuckyKentucky VirginiaVirginia TennesseeTennessee All States were at or near the East-CoastAll States were at or near the East-Coast

The Cherokee lived peacefully The Cherokee lived peacefully side by side with whites, but…side by side with whites, but…

Tensions between Georgia and the Cherokee Tensions between Georgia and the Cherokee Nation were brought to a crisis by the Nation were brought to a crisis by the discovery of gold near Dahlonega, Georgia, in discovery of gold near Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1829, resulting in the Georgia Gold Rush, the 1829, resulting in the Georgia Gold Rush, the first gold rush in U.S. history. Hopeful gold first gold rush in U.S. history. Hopeful gold speculators began trespassing on Cherokee speculators began trespassing on Cherokee landslands

Leaders of both parties Leaders of both parties

Cherokee IndiansCherokee Indians Sequoyah Sequoyah

(created a (created a Cherokee Cherokee alphabet)alphabet)

American American SettlersSettlers

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (president of the (president of the U.S.)U.S.)

By the time Jackson became President, only 125,000 Native Americans still lived east of the Mississippi

Reading and Writing Is Cool

I may have been tough,

but many Indiansjust thought I was

a jerk

Removing Indians from their Removing Indians from their

…Lands…Lands

Andrew Jackson had a goal to remove theAndrew Jackson had a goal to remove theremaining Indians to a new Indian Territoryremaining Indians to a new Indian Territory

In the West (present day Oklahoma)In the West (present day Oklahoma)

The Government should be The Government should be organized to benefit organized to benefit the great body of the the great body of the

United States – the planter, United States – the planter, the mechanic, and the laborer.the mechanic, and the laborer.

The Indianscalled himSharp Knife

The Indian Removal ActThe Indian Removal Act

The Indian Removal Act, part of a United The Indian Removal Act, part of a United States government policy known as Indian States government policy known as Indian removal, was signed into law by President removal, was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 26, 1830.Andrew Jackson on May 26, 1830.

It allowed president to make treaties in which It allowed president to make treaties in which Native Americans in the East traded their Native Americans in the East traded their lands for new territory on the Great Plainslands for new territory on the Great Plains

The Trail of TearsThe Trail of Tears More than 17,000 Cherokee were dragged from their More than 17,000 Cherokee were dragged from their

homes in Georgia and herded west by federal troopshomes in Georgia and herded west by federal troops

4,000 4,000 dieddied

during the during the long walklong walk to Indian to Indian TerritoryTerritory

The Trail of TearsThe Trail of Tears

Thousands of Creeks were also taken Thousands of Creeks were also taken from Alabama in handcuffs, and from Alabama in handcuffs, and marched west.marched west.

One soldier called it, “The cruelest work One soldier called it, “The cruelest work I ever knew.”I ever knew.”

Many whites were ashamed and appalled Many whites were ashamed and appalled by the treatment of the Indians and by the treatment of the Indians and protested in Washington D.Cprotested in Washington D.C..