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Jacksonville in Pulaski County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
 

They Passed This Way

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

— National Trails System —

 
 
They Passed This Way Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 9, 2018
1. They Passed This Way Marker
Inscription. "Long time we travel on way to new land.... Womens cry.... Children cry and men cry...but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep on go towards West. Many days pass and people die very much."
-Recollection of a survivor of the Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears - Land Route
After passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the United States government forced tens of thousands of American Indians to leave their ancestral land in the southeast for new homes in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). They traveled over established land and water routes, all of which led through Arkansas. Rather than risk disease and other hazards of summer travel, many groups left in the fall and faced, instead, treacherous winter weather. Thousands died during the ordeal-remembered today as the Trail of Tears.

Despite the hardships of the journey, the people of the five tribes of the Southeast established new lives in the West. They stand now as successful sovereign nations, proudly preserving cultural traditions, while adapting to the challenges of the 21st century.

In the 1830s, the federal government forcibly removed approximately 16,000 Cherokee, 21,000 Muscogee (Creek), 9,000 Choctaw, 6,000 Chickasaw, and 4,000 Seminole from the
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southeastern United States.

Federal Indian removal policy aroused fierce and bitter debate. Supporters of the policy claimed it was a benevolent action to save the tribes east of the Mississippi River from being over-whelmed and lost in the onslaught of an expanding American population. Opponents decried its inhumanity and the tragic consequences it would have for the Indian peoples. One thing was certain: removal freed millions of acres of Indian lands for use by American settlers.

In 1987, to commemorate this tragic chapter in American history, the United States Congress designated the primary land and water routes of the Cherokee removal as the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

Today, the National Park Service partners with the southeastern tribes; the Trail of Tears Association and other non-government organizations; federal, state, and local agencies; and private landowners to foster the appreciation and preservation of historic sites and segments and to tell the story of forced removal of the Cherokee people and other American Indian tribes.

You can visit certified sites, segments and interpretive facilities along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail by following the Auto Tour Route. Look for the official trail logo along the way. For further information, see: www.nps.gov/trte.
They Passed This Way Marker (second from right). image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 9, 2018
2. They Passed This Way Marker (second from right).

 
Erected by Department of Arkansas Heritage, Arkansas State Parks, and National Park Service.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native AmericansNotable Events. In addition, it is included in the Trail of Tears series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.
 
Location. 34° 51.129′ N, 92° 6.798′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Arkansas, in Pulaski County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of East Trickey Lane and Military Road. Located within Heritage Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 East Trickey Lane, Jacksonville AR 72076, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Brigade Moved Forward (here, next to this marker); The Trail of Tears through Jacksonville (a few steps from this marker); The Memphis to Little Rock Railroad (a few steps from this marker); Shared Gray     Jacob Gray (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Reed's Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Memphis Military Road (within shouting distance of this marker); Our Batteries Opened a Tremendous Fire (approx. 0.4 miles away); A Gallant Charge (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jacksonville.
 
Also see . . .  Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture - Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
They Passed This Way Marker is the 4th from the left. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 9, 2018
3. They Passed This Way Marker is the 4th from the left.
. (Submitted on April 19, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 19, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.

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Mar. 28, 2024