The Cherokee Nation, once home to thousands of men, women, and children across parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, was compelled by the 1830 Indian Removal Act to surrender its land and move west. In 1838, more than 15,500 Cherokees began the journey from their traditional eastern homeland to Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma, along the Trail of Tears, traveling by existing roads and rivers. Many groups departed in the fall to avoid the disease and heat of summer travel but instead encountered treacherous winter weather. Thousands crossed the Mississippi River via Greens Ferry. More than 1,000 Cherokees died during the westward journey, and more than 4,000 died as a result of the forced migration. Some Cherokees had moved voluntarily in 1837 before the forced removal, and later detachments followed the same route through what is now Trail of Tears State Park. Federal Indian removal policy provoked fierce and bitter debate: supporters called it a benevolent measure to protect tribes east of the Mississippi from being overwhelmed by an expanding American population, while opponents condemned its inhumanity and tragic consequences for Indian peoples. Removal also opened millions of acres of Indian land to white settlers. Despite the hardships, Cherokee survivors of the Trail of Tears established a new sovereign nation in present-day Oklahoma, while some Cherokees remained in North Carolina under a special exemption and formed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The five removed tribes also established successful sovereign nations that preserve cultural traditions while adapting to the challenges of the 21st century.