StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The trail of Tears - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
As free citizens of the Cherokee nation, we appeal to the law-abiding citizenry of the United States of America to see that justice is done regarding our legal right to remain in our country and ancestral lands which have been in our possession, and that of our forefathers, for…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.3% of users find it useful
The trail of Tears
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The trail of Tears"

and Section The Trail of Tears As free citizens of the Cherokee nation, we appeal to the law-abiding citizenry of the United States of America to see that justice is done regarding our legal right to remain in our country and ancestral lands which have been in our possession, and that of our forefathers, for many generations.Three years ago, in 1833, an illegitimate treaty was signed which agreed to our removal as a people from our lands. The signers of the so-called Treaty of New Echota (“Removal Act “) were not legal representatives of the Cherokee nation and therefore the treaty should have been declared null and void.

Over 15,000 of our members, led by Chief John Ross, have signed a petition in protest of this false treaty. Despite this, the United States Supreme Court dismissed our concerns and this year ratified the treaty. We have now been given two years to migrate voluntarily to the west, away from our own country, to unfamiliar territory beyond the Mississippi. Forcible removal has been threatened if we do not leave on our own.Citizens of the United States, we do not wish to leave our lands, nor should we be forced to do so.

Such a move would not be in our best interests; indeed it would be fatal to us as a nation. Firstly, it is an area completely unknown to us, and in addition is already occupied by other Indian nations who would not take kindly to encroachers upon their territory. We would be forced into close proximity with neighbors with whom we do not share a language or customs. The territory is also inadequately supplied with wood and water, making it much harder for us to survive.We appeal to the sense of fairness in the citizens of the United States, because previous to the false treaty, all agreements upheld our sovereign rights.

Those treaties explicitly acknowledged us to be a separate people, in a separate territory comprising our own country, and were supposed to be secured and protected by your government. In the 1832 Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia, the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Marshall rendered a judgment firmly upholding our rights. It stated, in part, that Indian nations should be regarded as distinct political communities, with their own territorial boundaries in which exclusive authority is exercised, as guaranteed by the United States.

Although the case specifically addressed the legal question of whether the State of Georgia could forcibly seize any person residing within our nation with our permission, it forthrightly addresses our territorial and sovereign rights. Imagine if another country was about to take your lands, fair citizens of the United States, based on a false treaty. Would you not be outraged? Would you not seek to do all within your power to remain in the land to which you held an exclusive claim? That is what we are now attempting to, in the face of opposition from the leadership of the United States.

President Andrew Jackson, the Congress and the Supreme Court have all turned their backs on us and are not inclined to uphold our rights as a nation, based solely on a treaty signed by renegades that did not represent our people. Therefore, we ask that the people of your great country act in concert to ensure that justice prevails in allowing us to remain in our lands. We have amply demonstrated that the Treaty of New Echota was made under false pretenses, and that given that fact, the legal grounds established in previous treaties should form the foundation of our sovereign claims.

Just as our territorial rights were upheld in the dispute with the State of Georgia, so should they now.It is manifest that this course of action is the only avenue for justice and fairness. As citizens of the United States, with your own lands, homes and domiciles, you can certainly understand how we are vehemently set against any measure that would force us west, at variance with our collective will.Lastly, we humbly remind you that when your ancestors first arrived on these shores, they were kindly received by our forefathers.

Whatever favor was asked of the Indian, who controlled the lands, it was granted. Our two peoples lived in peace and friendship. Although the balance of power has changed since that time, it is our belief that as a virtuous, Christian nation, the citizens of the United States are desirous of seeing that justice is done. With the popular opinion of its people turned against the false treaty, the President, elected officials and justices will have no choice but to pay heed and once again recognize the right of the Cherokee nation to govern its own lands.

Work Cited“The Indian Removal Act of 1830.” Historical Documents in United States History. 18 Mar. 2008 .

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The trail of Tears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
The trail of Tears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1545149-the-trail-of-tears
(The Trail of Tears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
The Trail of Tears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1545149-the-trail-of-tears.
“The Trail of Tears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1545149-the-trail-of-tears.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The trail of Tears

Oklahoma Indian Territory on the Trail of Tears

Oklahoma Indian Territory on The trail of Tears Can you imagine yourself as a helpless child who is separated from his or her mother?... Now, we face the problem of relocation to Oklahoma Indian Territory on The trail of Tears.... Here, I shall share some facts about my tribe, my motherland and my feelings on the possible removal to Oklahoma Indian Territory on The trail of Tears.... In short, we are facing a number of problems related to survival because we are forced to relocate to The trail of Tears....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Trail of Tears Issues

In the paper “trail of tears,” the author discusses Dee Brown's telling about the sufferings of disenfranchised Indians who were forced to abandon their homes at the hands of white men.... The journey was named the "trail of tears" because of all the death experienced and witnessed by the Cherokee.... She allows the reader to understand that the "trail of tears" is not just a hokey title to some sad group.... Next, they followed an old trail to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and continued to the Ohio River....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

The American Revolution - Discussion Question Only

The trail of Tears was the US Governments forced removal of the Eastern Tribe of the Cherokee Nation from its native lands in the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi.... Discussion Questions What was The trail of Tears The trail of Tears was the US Governments forced removal of the Eastern Tribe of the Cherokee Nation from its native lands in the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi.... he resulting march to the west became known as The trail of Tears....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Historical Events and Issues that Impact Political Development Amongst Native American Communities

This event is also known as The trail of Tears.... “The trail of Tears occurred in 1838”.... (Monkeyshines 1999) This is called The trail of Tears because the heartache endured by the Native Americans on their journey to the land they were forced to live in.... "The trail of Tears....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Why Did the US Government Demand the Native American Nations Move

These southern regions were occupied by five civilized tribes namely: The Indian Removal Act and The trail of Tears relocated countless Native Americans throughout southeast United s.... ; James 2004; The Indian Removal and The trail of Tears n.... ; The Indian Removal and The trail of Tears n.... They marched all the way to the west, which has also been referred to as The trail of Tears, as nearly 4000 people lost their lives due to cold, famine and disease on their journey....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Profile Speech about Trail of Tears- Removal of the Cherokee

The purpose of the statement is to inform the audience about the Removal of the Cherokees through the tale of trail of tears… IV.... Next, I will tell you how tribes such as Cherokees were affected following which I shall take you back to the fateful “trail of tears.... In English, this earned popularity as the “trail of tears” (Fradlin,2008).... The Cherokees called this journey – “ Nunna dual isunyi” meaning the trail where we cried....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Controversial Figure of Andrew Jackson

The trail of Tears involved 125,000 Indians were forced out of the west, he also championed to force the remaining Indians in the East of Mississippi onto much less valuable lands west of the river.... ackson's aim in The trail of Tears was to free land in the booming cotton business.... Some of the major bad things that happened in his reigns like trail of tears and spoil system were a digression....
4 Pages (1000 words) Admission/Application Essay

Jackson and The Cherokee ( The Trail of Tears )

The once strong red man has due: Jackson and the Cherokee (The trail of Tears) As a member of the Cherokee community, my heart is troubled as Iwrite this appeal.... My society has gone through all forms of mistreatment in the hands of the white man.... When the ancestors of the people of the United States visited our land, they met the red man who though… His kindness made him donate his dry land for the American people to rest their weary feet....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us