Question

Describe the event that led up to the Trail of Tears.

Answer 1

The Cherokee Nation sued for the return of their land. The Supreme Court sided with the Cherokee Nation, but in 1832 President Jackson overturned the Supreme Court and sided with the State of Georgia. As a result, 15,000 Cherokees were rounded up and forced to march for 116 days, which became known as The Trail of Tears.

Answer 2

The event that led to the Trail of Tears was the Indian Removal Act. This stated that Indian tribes in the Southern United States were to be removed and relocated to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their ancestral homelands. This law was passed under President Andrew Jackson and was deemed to be one of the most cruel things to happen during Westward Expansion.