They Passed This Way

They Passed This Way. Fort Massac State Park. Home to thousands of men, women, and children, the Cherokee Nation once spread across parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. The 1830 Indian Removal Act required that the Cherokee and other southeastern tribes surrender their land and move west., In 1838, more than 15,000 Cherokee began their migration west from their eastern homeland to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) over the "Trail of Tears." They traveled by roads and rivers and stopped in Paducah for supplies. More than 1,000 died during the journey westward, and more than 4,000 died as a result of their forced relocation., Water Route, Travel by boat had its challenges. Hazards included the quick spread of sickness onboard, fear of disease along the river lowlands, and fires aboard steamers. Unpredictable water levels, impassable shoals, and weather patterns that affected river navigation. Food was prepared on deck or in steerage with rations consisting of flour, cornmeal, and bacon., Fort Massac, Crumbling Witness, The 1794 fort lay in ruins at the time the four detachments of Cherokee passed this way on steamboats and flatboats heading to Indian Territory. Traveling swiftly, US Army Lieutenant Edward Deas wrote:, We left Paducah about sun set and shall continue to run through the night…The Boats reached the mouth of the Ohio about midnight…, Deas' detachment of Cherokee passed Fort Massac in the dark., (bottom sidebar:), 1830s Indian Removal Policy, Federal Indian removal policy aroused fierce and bitter debate. Supporters claimed it was a benevolent action to save the tribes east of the Mississippi River from being overwhelmed and lost in the onslaught of an expanding American population. Opponents decried its inhumanity and the tragic consequences it would have for Indian peoples. One thing was certain; millions of acres of Indian lands were given to white settlers. , Learn more at nps.gov/trete or nationaltota.org, Today, Despite the hardships of the journey, members of the five removed tribes established new lives in the West. They stand as successful sovereign nations, proudly preserving cultural traditions, while adapting to the challenges of the 21st century., Cherokee who survived the Trail of Tears joined those who removed earlier to form a new government for their sovereign nation in present-day Oklahoma. Some Cherokee remained in North Carolina and formed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians., (photo captions:), The United States government forcibly removed more than 15,000 Cherokee, 21,000 Paid Muscogee (Creek), 9,000 Choctaw, 6,000 Chickasaw, and 4,000 Seminole., You can visit more sites along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The story of the forced removal of the Cherokee people and other American Indian tribes is remembered and told by the National Park Service and its partners.