Trail of Tears
Created by: Noah, Alexcia, Tymya, and Tridib
What is it?
During the years 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the people of the Cherokee nation were forced to leave their homelands east of the Mississippi River and to move to a designated territory in what is now Oklahoma. This massive removal of Native Ameicans became known as the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effect on the native people.
The Legend of the Cherokee Rose:
"When the Trail of Tears started in 1838, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much, they were unable to help their children survive the journey. The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother’s spirits to give them strength. The next day a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother’s tears fell. The rose is white for their tears; a gold center represents the gold taken from Cherokee lands, and seven leaves on each stem for the seven Cherokee clans. The wild Cherokee Rose grows along the route of the Trail of Tears into eastern Oklahoma today."
Source: The Cherokee 1994 Heritage Calendar by Dorothy Sullivan, Memoray Circle Studio, Norman, Ok.
Relation to Social Injustice:
The removal of the Cherokee people is one of the most appalling examples of social injustice that has occurred in American history. The removal of the native peoples from their homelands in the southeast, erased an entire nation and culture, indeginous to region. The removal was done on the basis of race and the desire of English settlers.