TRAIL OF TEARS
The Trail of Tears was a terrible event that led to
the mistreatment, torture, and death of many Na-
tive Americans that claimed land east of the Mis-
sissippi River. President Andrew Jackson sought
to relocate all of the Indians in Florida, Georgia,
Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama, and
even referred to this process as “Indian re-
moval.” Many tribes were forced out of their
lands, to walk what became known as the Trail
of Tears. Hundreds of lives were lost and most
suffered during the journey west.
Today, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail is
owned and protected by the National Park Serv-
ice. You can walk the original trail and commem-
orate the survival of the tribes that had to endure
this great suffering. Because the trail spans over
nearly 1,000 miles, it crosses through almost a
dozen present-day states, including North Car-
olina, Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Ala-
bama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
The National Park Service provides outlets for
finding sites to visit along the trail, as well as dif-
ferent things to do to learn about and honor the
history of the Native American people. Visit their
website for more information on interactive ex-
hibits, tours, historic buildings, trail segments,
and more.
TRAIL
OF TEARS
Whether you’re looking to spend a weekend
visiting the battlefields etched in America’s lands
and history, or you’re wanting to reunite with the
ancestors of earlier times, these historical land-
marks and sites will have you pondering over
past times with nostalgia. Take a journey to one
or all of these places, and rediscover some of
the main events that stitched our nation’s histor-
ical timeline into our modern-day heritage.
“Today, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail is owned
and protected by the National Park Service.”