Trail of Tears Lesson directions
The Trail of Tears was an event in U.S. History where the United States government committed many different atrocities against the Native Americans by forcing them to leave their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States and move far away to Indian Reservations in the Midwestern United States. With the westward movement of settlers they encountered many different Indian tribes who were settled on land which would be prosperous to them for many different reasons. These settlers had a wide range of interactions with these tribes and while many of them were peaceful often struggles and fighting between them did occur. This was one of the reasons that the U.S. government began moving the Native Americans. But another one was in Georgia which was due to the discovery of Gold there and also the need for suitable farming grounds across the southeast region. (1.)
Question on the Trail of Tears
Source
(1) A Brief History of the Trail of Tears. (2014, January 1). . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/History/TrailofTears/ABriefHistoryoftheTrailofTears.aspx
- Students will be using this lesson to expand their understanding of the Trail of Tears by reading The Trail of Tears book by Joseph Bruchac.
- Students will also utilize Primary and Secondary Sources to answer a question on the Trail of Tears.
Question on the Trail of Tears
- Why were the Cherokee Indians forced to leave their ancestral homelands and what problems did they face on their journey to Oklahoma?
Source
(1) A Brief History of the Trail of Tears. (2014, January 1). . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/History/TrailofTears/ABriefHistoryoftheTrailofTears.aspx