Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
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Name	Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Location	United States
Established	1987
Area	Multi-state corridor
Governing body	National Park Service

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail commemorates the forced removal routes of the Cherokee Nation, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and Seminole peoples following enactment of the Indian Removal Act and enforcement of the Treaty of New Echota. Created by the United States Congress and administered by the National Park Service, the trail links sites associated with displacement, legal adjudication, military enforcement, and humanitarian response across multiple states including Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina.

Overview

The trail commemorates removal events tied to the Indian Removal Act, the Trail of Tears removals of the 1830s, and related episodes such as the Forced migration of the Cherokee and the Removal of the Five Civilized Tribes. It recognizes sites connected to principal figures like John Ross, Major Ridge, Elias Boudinot, Ridge and John Ridge family members, and agents such as General Winfield Scott who enforced removals. The designation aims to preserve landscapes associated with routes, crossings, encampments, and internment locations referenced in the Worcester v. Georgia litigation and the Treaty of New Echota controversies.

Historical Background

Removal policy roots trace to the Administration of Andrew Jackson, debates in the United States Congress, and implementation by federal agents and state militias during the 1830s. Legal contests culminating in Worcester v. Georgia and political maneuvering around the 1835 Treaty of New Echota set the stage for enforcement actions executed by units like elements of the U.S. Army under commanders including Winfield Scott. The removals intersected with wider developments such as the Missouri Compromise, the expansion of cotton plantations in the Antebellum South, and incidents like the Cherokee removal of 1838–1839. Survivors and descendants organized political and cultural responses via institutions such as the Cherokee Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Chickasaw Nation, and Muscogee (Creek) Nation governments, and through leaders like Sequoyah in subsequent generations.

Route and Geography

The trail comprises a network of overland roads, riverine corridors, and maritime passages used in removals, including river crossings on the Tennessee River, Mississippi River, Ohio River, and Arkansas River. Routes traverse geographic landmarks such as the Cumberland Plateau, the Appalachian Mountains, the Ozarks, and coastal passages near Mobile Bay and the Atlantic coast. Notable waypoints include departure and internment locations like New Echota, Ross's Landing, port towns such as Savannah, Georgia, New Orleans, and upriver transfer points including St. Louis. The multi-state corridor intersects transportation routes like the Natchez Trace and early roadways used during the Antebellum period.

Commemoration and Sites

Key commemorative sites linked to the trail include tribal capitals and sites such as New Echota State Historic Site, Red Clay State Historic Park, Chief Vann House Museum, Rose Hill, and Fort Smith National Historic Site. Memorials and interpretive centers include the Trail of Tears State Park, the Cherokee Heritage Center, the Oklahoma Historical Society, and exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of the American Indian. Academic and cultural remembrance is advanced through partnerships with universities like the University of Georgia, Dartmouth College, and University of Oklahoma, and by historiographical works from scholars associated with presses such as the University of North Carolina Press and the Oxford University Press.

Administration and Protection

Administration of the corridor rests with the National Park Service in partnership with tribal governments including the Cherokee Nation and the Choctaw Nation, state historic preservation offices such as the Tennessee Historical Commission, and federal entities like the National Trails System. Legal protection leverages instruments tied to National Historic Preservation Act procedures, cooperative agreements with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and collaborative land management with agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Funding and programmatic oversight involve the United States Congress, grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and partnerships with non-profits like the Trail of Tears Association and local historical societies.

Public Access and Interpretation

Public access includes marked driving routes, hiking trails, interpretive exhibits, and educational programming facilitated by sites such as Red Clay State Historic Park, Trail of Tears State Park (Tahlequah), and municipal museums in Rossville, Georgia and Cherokee County, Georgia. Visitor engagement is supported by curricula developed with tribal educators, collaborative events with organizations like the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service, and digital resources created by archives including the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration. Ongoing research, archaeological investigations with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and Tulane University, and oral histories gathered by tribal cultural preservation offices continue to inform interpretation and public education.

Category:National Historic Trails of the United States