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.

Beside above, how many people died on the Trail of Death? During the journey to Kansas, 42 people died, 28 of them children. Historian Jacob Piatt Dunn is credited for naming the Potawatomi's forced march "The Trail of Death" in his book, True Indian Stories (1909). It was the single largest Indian removal in the state.

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.

When was the trail of death?

September 4, 1838

23 Related Question Answers Found

How many Potawatomi are alive today?

The current population of all Potawatomi in Canada and the United States is almost 28,000.

Did the Trail of Tears Go through Indiana?

Many are acquainted with the Trail of Tears, the forced migration of 15,000 Cherokees from the Smoky Mountains to Oklahoma in 1838. But another deadly exodus of Native Americans began in Indiana that same year.

What is the Potawatomi religion?

The aboriginal religion of the Forest Potawatomi was quite similar to that of other Algonkian peoples and their culture hero was Mana'bozo who was considered the founder of their religious cult. Religion has ever been a most interesting feature of primitive culture.

Where are the Potawatomi located?

The Potawatomi first lived in Lower Michigan, then moved to northern Wisconsin and eventually settled into northern Indiana and central Illinois. In the early 19th century, major portions of Potawatomi lands were seized by the U.S. government.

What did the Potawatomi tribe make?

The Potawatomi Indians were farming people. Potawatomi women planted and harvested corn, beans, squash, and tobacco, as well as gathering wild rice and berries. The men hunted deer, elk, and wild birds and caught fish. The Potawatomis also tapped trees for maple syrup as Michigan people do today.

What do you mean by trails of tears?

Trail of Tears. The route along which the United States government forced several tribes of Native Americans, including the Cherokees, Seminoles, Chickasaws, Choctaws, and Creeks, to migrate to reservations west of the Mississippi River in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s.

Where did the Cherokee come from?

The Cherokees are original residents of the American southeast region, particularly Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Here is a map showing the location of the original Cherokee territory. Most Cherokees were forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's along the Trail of Tears.

Where did the Cherokee come from originally?

Cherokee Tribe History. Traditional, linguistic, and archeological evidence shows that the Cherokee originated in the north, but they were found in possession of the south Allegheny region when first encountered by De Soto in 1540. Their relations with the Carolina colonies began 150 years later.

Is Choctaw Cherokee?

The term "Five Civilized Tribes" derives from the colonial and early federal period in the history of the United States. It refers to five Native American nations—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminole. The Five Civilized Tribes tended to maintain stable political relations with the Europeans.

How much money do Cherokee get?

The Eastern Band of Cherokee isn't the only group whose members get unconditional cash: The Alaska Permanent Fund has been giving $1,000 to $2,000 a year to its citizens for decades, and other Native American tribes have also divided up casino revenues. But the Cherokee example is among the most researched.

Where did the Cherokee live in Georgia?

The Georgia Cherokee's primary area of residence is in North Georgia, north of the Chattahoochee River, which comprises the original area occupied by their Cherokee ancestors prior to the forced removal of many of their kinsmen in 1838, known as the infamous Trail of Tears.

How long was Trail of Tears?

It eventually took almost three months to cross the 60 miles (97 kilometres) on land between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The trek through southern Illinois is where the Cherokee suffered most of their deaths.

What does crying Indian mean?

It is similar to, and rarer than, "cry uncle," which means to give up, cry for mercy. The person on the losing end cries "Uncle!" or "Indian!"

How did the Trail of Tears impact America?

The Indian Removal Act and its major consequence, the Trail of Tears, resulted in the further genocide and forced displacement of indigenous peoples living in their homelands southeast of the Mississippi, as well as the further colonization of indigenous people and land west of the Mississippi River.

What is Potawatomi tribe?

The Potawatomi are an Algonkian-speaking tribe which has lived in the Great Lakes region for at least four centuries. Oral traditions of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Ottawa assert that at one time all three tribes were one people who lived at the Straits of Mackinac.

What Native American tribe lived in Michigan?

Michigan's Native American inhabitants or First People were the Algonquian-speaking tribes of the Fox, Sauk, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, Ojibwe (also known as the Ojibway, Ojibwa, or Chippewa), and Potawatomi.