G7: Westward Expansion: Trail of Tears

By the 1820s, the Cherokee Nation had seen much of their ancestral lands (in what is now the southeastern US) disappear.

Collection, with background explanations

Bill S. 102, "An act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any state or territories," originated in and passed the Senate, then was considered in the House of Representatives.

Chief John Ross devoted much of his life to fighting against the forced removal of his people from their ancestral lands.

Interactive Exhibit provides perspectives from Native American community members, documents, maps, images, and activities to help students and teachers understand the history both of Native Nations and the United States.

The legendary frontiersman and Tennessee congressman Davy Crockett opposed the
Indian Removal Act, declaring that his decision would “not make me ashamed in the Day of
Judgment.”

The Cherokee adjusted to White U.S. culture and won a case at the Supreme Court, but were still forced off their land.