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Colonists and Native AmericansVirginiaWWII planesCivil Rights Movement
A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History
Expansion and Reform: 1801 to 1860 Back to History Unit

(b) describing the key features of the Jacksonian Era, with emphasis on federal banking policies;


Trail of Tears: Letter from Cherokee Leaders in Washington
University of Tennessee Digital Library Database: Southeastern Native American Documents

Robert Lindneux's "Trail of Tears"
PBS: Africans In America

Description: This letter from Cherokee delegates in Washington, D.C. to the chief indicates the nature of Indian negotiations with the Federal government in the wake of the Trail of Tears period.



Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestions
  • Have the picture of the Trail of Tears displayed when students enter the classroom. Ask students to comment on the people in the picture, where they are going, and why they are going there.
  • Show a map of the location of five Indian nations that were forced to move from their homelands by Jackson's Indian Removal Act, and where they were moved to. Comment on the distance and relate back to the picture of people walking.
Suggestions for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson
  • After discussing the logistics of the Trail of Tears have students create a diary as if they were a member of the Cherokee nation being forced from their homes.
  • Have the class read the letter, and then discuss the Native American's ability to negotiate with the government. Students should answer the question of why did the government feel that is was necessary to move the Indian nations including reflections on growing agriculture and difficulties between Indians and whites fighting over land.
  • Incorporate the forced displacement of Native Americans into a class on westward expansion. Focus on the creation of reservations west of the Mississippi especially the formation of Oklahoma.

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