How many creek died on the trail of tears

The last groups of Cherokees made it to Indian Territory in March A century later, Route 66, the iconic highway established in , overlapped with part of this route, from Rolla to Springfield, Missouri. A small group of Cherokee people managed to remain in North Carolina, either as a result of an agreement that enabled them to stay on their land there, or because they hid in the mountains from the U. The group, which also included people who walked back from Indian Territory, became known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Today, the group has approximately 12, members, who live primarily in western North Carolina on the 57,acre Qualla Boundary. In the first years after their arrival in Indian Territory, life was difficult for many Cherokees. Ross initially believed the Cherokees should remain neutral in the conflict, but there was a faction who supported the South so the chief made an alliance with the Confederacy, in part to try to keep the Cherokees united.

Ross soon grew disillusioned with the Confederates, who had abandoned their promises of protection and supplies to the Indians.

Ross spent the rest of the war in Philadelphia, where his second wife had a home his first wife died while walking the Trail of Tears and Washington, D. Ross died of illness on August 1, , having served as principal chief for nearly 40 years. In December , President Barack Obama signed a bill that included an official apology to all American Indian tribes for past injustices.

Some drank stagnant water and succumbed to disease. One survivor told how his father got sick and died; then, his mother; then, one by one, his five brothers and sisters. Then all are gone. People feel bad when they leave Old Nation. Womens cry and make sad wails. Children cry and many men cry Many days pass and people die very much. By March , all survivors had arrived in the west. No one knows how many died throughout the ordeal, but the trip was especially hard on infants, children, and the elderly.

Missionary doctor Elizur Butler, who accompanied the Cherokees, estimated that over 4, died- nearly a fifth of the Cherokee population. Tahlequah, Oklahoma was its capital. It remains tribal headquarters for the Cherokee Nation today. About 1, Cherokees in Tennessee and North Carolina escaped the roundup. They gained recognition in , establishing their tribal government in in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Today, they are known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Explore This Park. Info Alerts Maps Calendar. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. Dismiss View all alerts.

What Happened on the Trail of Tears? Federal Indian Removal Policy Early in the 19th century, the United States felt threatened by England and Spain, who held land in the western continent. The Cherokees Historically, Cherokees occupied lands in several southeastern states. Last updated: May 26, However, President Jackson and his government frequently ignored the letter of the law and forced Native Americans to vacate lands they had lived on for generations. In the winter of , under threat of invasion by the U.

Army, the Choctaw became the first nation to be expelled from its land altogether. Thousands of people died along the way. The Indian-removal process continued. In , the federal government drove the Creeks from their land for the last time: 3, of the 15, Creeks who set out for Oklahoma did not survive the trip. Some wanted to stay and fight. Others thought it was more pragmatic to agree to leave in exchange for money and other concessions.

To the federal government, the treaty was a done deal, but many of the Cherokee felt betrayed; after all, the negotiators did not represent the tribal government or anyone else. Senate protesting the treaty. By , only about 2, Cherokees had left their Georgia homeland for Indian Territory. Scott and his troops forced the Cherokee into stockades at bayonet point while his men looted their homes and belongings. Then, they marched the Indians more than 1, miles to Indian Territory.

Whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, cholera and starvation were epidemic along the way, and historians estimate that more than 5, Cherokee died as a result of the journey. By , tens of thousands of Native Americans had been driven off of their land in the southeastern states and forced to move across the Mississippi to Indian Territory.

In , Oklahoma became a state and Indian Territory was gone for good. Today, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail is run by the National Park Service and portions of it are accessible on foot, by horse, by bicycle or by car. Trail of Tears. Start your free trial today. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!