The Trial of Tears

The Trial of Tears

A Sad Departure It is October 1, 1838. John Ross, the chief of the great Cherokee Nation, is looking at his Tennessee home for the last time. Hundreds of horse-drawn wagons are lined up along the Hiwassee River. All around him, other Cherokees have finished packing their belongings. It is time to go.

John Ross is worried. His people do not have enough food or blankets. Many of them are ill. All of them are filled with sorrow. John Ross thinks of all they are leaving behind. He remembers the schools and houses and farms the Cherokees built. He and his people do not want to leave their homes. But they have no choice. The 17, 000 people of the Cherokee Nation must go west.

John Ross climbs on a wagon. The people gather around him as he says a short prayer in Cherokee. “ We ask for God's guidance on our journey, " he says. “ Amen, " say the people in reply.

A bugle is sounded. The drivers urge their teams forward. Suddenly, a roll of thunder is heard. A black cloud appears in the western sky. Many Cherokees shake their heads. They fear it is an omen of bad luck. Their long journey will be a hard one.

A Civilized Tribe Who are the Cherokees and why must they go west? The Cherokees were living in America long before the first whitecolonists arrived. Their oldest stories tell how earth was shaped by the flight of the Great Buzzard. He flew low over the new land to dry it with his wings, pushing down the valleys and lifting up the hills and peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains. Then two people emerged from the earth. They were Kanati and Selu, the first man and woman. All Cherokees are their children.