Journeys West: reading informational text; The Trail of Tears 4

The Trail of Tears

1. Looking out over his field of waving corn, John Ross smiled. He told his son, “This will be the best harvest of corn we have ever had, and the other crops are just as fine. Life is good here, and one day, you will inherit all that your mother and I have built.” John Ross was a leader of the Cherokee. He was rich and successful, and had close friends among both his Cherokee and his white neighbors in Georgia. John Ross should have felt very happy with his life.
2. But on that sunny morning in 1830, standing with his son looking out over his cornfield, John Ross knew there was a possibility his son would never own the farm he worked so hard to get and keep. Some white people were jealous of the land and businesses the Cherokee owned. They wanted land and businesses, too. They began asking, “Why don’t the Cherokee move? Our government can offer them land farther west, and we will keep their farms and businesses here for ourselves.”

3. Many of the Cherokee were worried. They did not want to leave their homes, and they were afraid that the US government might force them to leave. John Ross tried many different ways to talk to the US government and pleaded with them not to relocate the Cherokee. The government didn’t listen.

4. Two years prior, in 1828, an army general named Andrew Jackson had been elected president of the United States. President Jackson was on the side of those settlers who wanted to take Native American land. President Jackson insisted that Native Americans move west to what was called “Indian Territory”. He sent soldiers to make them go.
5. Hoping to avoid another war, US government leaders told the Cherokee, “If you will move to the Indian Territory, we will reimburse you five million dollars to share among yourselves. You can use this to build a new life.” There had already been many wars between Native American tribes and the US government. In many of these wars, the Native Americans lost, and the US government took their land without paying them for it.

6. The US government had promised to supply the Cherokee with wagons, oxen, horses, and food for the long journey, but there were not enough supplies for all of them. John Ross helped organize the Cherokee to face the problems of a long, difficult journey and a lack of supplies. “We will divide into smaller groups and make sure there is a doctor for each group. We do not have enough food to feed everyone, so we will have to hunt and fish on the way. There are not enough wagons to carry all the children, the old, or the sick. Many of us must walk and carry what we can on our backs.” When the Cherokee set out, there were so many people that the line stretched for three miles.

7. The road West was difficult. Many Cherokee were sick or injured, but they could not stop to heal. They had to keep walking. It was miserable.
8. Then, partway to the Indian Territory, while in Kentucky in November, the Cherokee encountered a horrible winter storm. Through the bitter cold and falling sleet and snow, the Cherokee continued their journey. Many people died, and even after the storm ended, others were too weak to finish the trip. So many Cherokee died on the way that the survivors called this journey the “Trail of Tears”, and it has been called that ever since.
9. The Trail of Tears and other forced movements of Native Americans are some of the saddest events in the history of the United States, but that is why we need to remember them. It’s important to remember the sadder parts of history to prevent them from happening again.

10. With tremendous courage, and after many years of hard work, the Cherokee built themselves a new life. But most of them, and many other Native Americans who were forced to relocate, never again saw their old homes back in Georgia.

Practice Questions

Part A

Part B