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Trail of Tears, Indian Wars
The US government passed a law in 1830 called the
Indian Removal Act. This allowed the US government the right to force
Indian tribes to vacate their land and move to reservation lands,
geographical areas the government had put aside for their use. Most Indian
tribes did not want to leave their land. It was their spiritual and
physical home. But the government sent in the army to force
tribes to move.
The Cherokee,
like other tribes and nations, were told to leave. They had been given
land in Oklahoma. The Cherokee refused to leave. The Cherokee took their
case to the US Supreme Court. And they won! The Supreme Court said the
Cherokee were right - the US government could not force them to move. But
President Andrew Jackson directed the US Army to capture all the Cherokee
they could find and force them to move.
Most Cherokee had to walk the whole way. They walked
through rain and cold and incredible heat. More than 4000 Cherokees died
on the journey. That is why this forced eviction was called "The
Trail of Tears."
Today,
there are over 260,000 Cherokees in the United States. Most live in
Oklahoma. Some still live in the southeastern region of the United States.
Trail
of Tears: Map & Lesson
Trail of Tears
mini-unit (includes map)
Native
Americans
Western Expansion: Other
Lesson Plans
Core
Knowledge: Western Expansion
Westward
We Go! (pdf )
The
Westward Expansion (pdf)
Westward
Expansion and Spatial Awareness (pdf)
Blazing
the Western Trails with 6 handouts
The Western
Movement
The West (pbs)
Western
Expansion lessons
Western
Expansion Lesson Plan (extensive)
Struggle
for Women's Rights in the 1800's (3 day mini-unit)
What
about my 40 acres and a mule?
Mountain Men and
the Fur Trade
Colonial
Life - At Home on the French Frontier (1700-1800) US History
Eras
of Revolution, Expansion, and Reform Prior to the United States Civil
War (50+ pages!)
Multicultural
American West
Our
Nation Grows (activities, quiz, school site)
Territorial
Expansion (very helpful, requires shockwave)
Key
Dates - American West's Expansion Timeline
Animated
Map of Western Expansion
Counter start date January 2006
Have a great year!