forced relocation of the Eastern Wood Lands Indians of the South East Region
During the 1830s, there was a forced relocation of the Eastern Wood Lands Indians of the South East Region, such as the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, and Choctaw to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. It was referred to as the Trail of tears. There were various justifications for forcing Native Americans off their lands. First, the 1829 gold rush on Cherokee land in Georgia had large amounts of wealth. Speculators demanded that the US Congress hand over control of all the property owned by the tribe members to the state. Complying with their plea, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which allowed the president to negotiate with the Eastern nations. He had them remove their tracts of land west of the Mississippi and provided some money for transportation as well as compensation to the native landowners. The Southeast Indians were considered organized, and they invested in agriculture. Outsiders admired the farms of the most famous tribes because they were in a good location and were well developed. Their fields had already been cleared, pastures fenced, houses built, and this would be good for speculators who bought their properties since they would receive high profits. With this information, the Southeast tribes approached federal negotiations to protect their members’ investments.
The Trail of Tears was considered ‘business as usual’ in Colonial America and the early Republic because the Europeans were used to taking land from those they colonized. To them, it was all about the profit and growth of their country. The Trail was considered unusual because the forced relocations were carried out by the authorities following the Indian Removal Act in 1830. Many people suffered from diseases and starvation while they were on their way while others died before reaching their destination.