Trail of Tears

The Trail Of Tears

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THE TRAIL OF TEARS

The Trail of Tears was a sad part of American history.  It began with the Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson.  It stated that the President could take Native American land without paying for it or asking, as long as he gave the Native Americans who lived there an equal amount of land in the unsettled prairies of the west.  The majority of Native Americans did not want to leave their land.  Five Native American tribes were forced to leave their land and move west.  These tribes were the Creeks, Choctaws, Seminoles, Chickasaws and the Cherokee.  They were forced to travel 800 miles by foot to the west.  8000 Cherokee Indians died.




Watch this video to learn about the details of how the Cherokee Indians were forced to leave their land.

http://youtu.be/xwBXOxQqkGc

Extra Credit Options:

1. Bring a Native American item to co-op.

2. Make or bring a Native American drum/rainstick/musical instrument or vest and bring it to co-op (we will be having a pow-wow).

3) Draw a map of the route that different Native American's were forced to travel. 
4) Color or draw a picture of a Cherokee Indian.
5) Research and write differences between the 5 tribes talked about in the video (Creeks, Choctaws, Seminoles, Cherokee, Chickasaws).