The Cherokee Nation once spread across parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 required the Cherokee to surrender their land and move west, and in 1838 more than 15,000 Cherokee began the journey from their eastern homeland to Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma, along the Trail of Tears. They traveled by roads and rivers, including this stretch of the Mississippi River. More than 1,000 died during the journey westward, and more than 4,000 died as a result of their forced migration. Federal Indian removal policy provoked fierce debate: supporters called it a benevolent measure to save tribes east of the Mississippi from being overwhelmed by an expanding American population, while opponents condemned its inhumanity and tragic consequences. Removal opened millions of acres of Indian land to white settlers. Many groups left in the fall to avoid summer heat and disease but instead faced dangerous winter weather, and many died during the ordeal. Few Cherokee traveled by water; after hearing of the difficulties faced by military-led groups on the water route, Cherokee leaders petitioned to manage their own removal and chose overland travel to avoid the rapid spread of sickness onboard, disease along river lowlands, and unpredictable water levels and weather. Cherokee who survived created a new sovereign nation in present-day Oklahoma, while some who remained in North Carolina, under a special exemption, formed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Despite the hardships, members of the five removed tribes established new lives in the West and continue as successful sovereign nations preserving cultural traditions while adapting to modern challenges.
