Why is the journey of the Cherokees called the "Trail of Tears"?

Question

Christopher Antwine · Accepted Answer

Because American Indians were removed from ther homeland in their southeastern lands and forced marched (with many dying) to reservations in what became Oklahoma

President Andrew Jackson forced a bill through Congress that would take away Indian lands and place it in auction for white settlers. The Indians were forced from their homes, denied the right to challenge by law and only allowed to take bare nessecities. Many died of illness, disease, injuries and children as well as aged were not provided with any means of safeguards as the military forced march them to a desolate land that later became the state of Oklahoma. It was a horrible time in American history

Ryan Austin · Answer

undefined The journey of the Cherokees is called the "Trail of Tears" because it refers to the forced relocation of thousands of Cherokee Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to designated Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in the late 1830s. The journey was marked by harsh conditions, disease, starvation, and death, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee people. The name "Trail of Tears" reflects the immense suffering and loss experienced by the Cherokee and other Indigenous peoples during this forced removal.