Why was it called the Trail of Death?
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In 1838, government agents forcibly removed 859 Potawatomi Indians from their homes in Indiana and Michigan to a reservation in Kansas. Because of the many deaths that occurred on the ten week journey, the removal became known as the Trail of Death.
Accordingly, why did the trail of death happen?
Trail of Death. In 1838, the Potawatomi Indians in the state of Indiana were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands by order of the U.S. government. The 859 Potawatomi who started the journey traveled across Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and finally Kansas before arriving at their intended destination.
Similarly, why is it called the Trail of Tears?
In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects.
September 4, 1838