After passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the United States government forced tens of thousands of American Indians from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to new homes in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma, traveling over land and water routes that led through Arkansas. To avoid summer disease and other hazards, many groups left in the fall and instead faced treacherous winter weather, and thousands died during the ordeal remembered as the Trail of Tears. In the 1830s, the federal government forcibly removed approximately 16,000 Cherokee, 21,000 Muscogee (Creek), 9,000 Choctaw, 6,000 Chickasaw, and 4,000 Seminole from the southeastern United States. The policy provoked fierce and bitter debate: supporters called it a benevolent measure to save tribes east of the Mississippi River from being overwhelmed by an expanding American population, while opponents condemned its inhumanity and tragic consequences for Indian peoples. Removal also freed millions of acres of Indian land for American settlers. Despite the hardships of the journey, the five tribes of the Southeast established new lives in the West and now stand as successful sovereign nations that preserve cultural traditions while adapting to the challenges of the 21st century.