The Trail of Tears

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. This book introduces the Cherokee’s creation story, how their communities were formed, as well as how they were displaced several times. Each time, the Cherokee were forced to move, the white settlers took the Cherokee’s houses, businesses, farm animals, and other personal belongings.  

The Cherokee Nation had a written language and many of their towns had a Cherokee newspaper. However, when the Cherokees became successful, many white settlers “did not want them around. President Thomas Jefferson believed in a policy called Indian Removal. This meant moving all Indians to Indian Territory. . . Jefferson thought this policy would protect the Indians from dishonest white people who might trick them or kill them for their land.” Many of the Cherokee disagreed on whether they should move or not. In the hope of creating peace, some people moved further west. Unfortunately, this did not solve the problem because the whites continued to move west and continued to take the Cherokee’s land. 

Written by Joseph Bruchac, who is of Abenaki, Slovak, and English descent, The Trail of Tears explains how the Cherokee people lived and worked. Many people may be surprised that the Cherokee towns were very successful and required schoolchildren to learn Latin, algebra, botany, grammar, and geography. Despite the Cherokee’s success, the white settlers and the government broke treaty after treaty and cruelly forced the Indians off their own land. Despite this, the Cherokee Nation continues to thrive today.  

As part of the Step Into Reading 5 Series, The Trail of Tears is intended for readers in grades 2 – 4 who are proficient readers. The book includes large, colored pictures of historical events and several pictures of the Cherokee being mistreated. For example, one illustration shows a woman being separated from her child and the soldiers with guns. Another picture shows people falling off a boat and drowning. Illustrations appear on every page, and some pictures fill an entire page. The book’s oversized text, large illustrations, and short chapters will appeal to younger readers.   

The Trail of Tears presents historical events from the perspective of the Cherokee people and introduces several brave Cherokee leaders who fought for their people. Readers will see how various United States presidents’ policies affected the Cherokee, as well as how the whites betrayed them. The book is written similarly to a history text, describing events in a factual tone. Bruchac leaves the reader with the message: “Lessons can be learned from the bitter journey called the Trail of Tears. One is that when promises are broken, many people may suffer.” Readers interested in United States history or Indigenous people will find The Trail of Tears interesting. To learn more, read Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story by Andrea L. Rogers.

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• After the American Revolution, “American settlers wanted the land owned by Cherokees. There was more fighting, this time against the Cherokees. A thousand Cherokee towns were destroyed.”  
• Some white settlers killed Indians in order to take their land.  
• At one point, the Cherokee were taken captive. “They were locked up in stockade forts. They had to leave behind everything except for the clothes they wore and what little they could carry. Groups of white men, following the soldiers, quickly took over the Cherokee homes. . . Many died while being held captive.” 
• When the soldiers forced the Cherokee off their land, “People were loaded onto large flatboats guarded by troops. . . Some [Cherokee] fell into the water and drowned.” 
• Some Cherokee resisted being moved off their land. “Two white soldiers were killed. One of the Cherokees, an old man named Tsali, was sentenced to death after he and two of his sons killed a soldier trying to capture them. He was killed by a firing squad of his own people. They knew that they would be shot if they didn’t obey.”

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• Many Cherokees believed that their trip would be a hard one because there was a roll of thunder and black clouds appeared before they left. 
• According to legend, “It is said that each drop of blood that fell from the Cherokees turned into a stone rose. Those red stone crystals can still be found along the Arkansas River.” 

Spiritual Content  

• When the Cherokee Nation was forced to leave Tennessee, John Ross said a prayer. “We ask for God’s guidance on our journey, Amen.”