What is the Trail of Tears and how did it Happen? What was the Outcome?
The Trail of Tears was an event that happened due to an act passed in 1830 by Andrew Jackson. This act was the Indian Removal Act which was first introduced to congress in 1829. One of the possible main motives of this act was due to Americans natural desire to expand into other territory. This act caused many griefs and troubles for Native Americans. First off, they lost their homeland and were forced to migrate. This act was targeting against the 5 civilized tribes which were tribes who semi-acquiesced to American ways. Most of the tribes simply fought back with words or small actions. However, there were some who picked up weapons and chose to die. One of the cases where this was clear was the Seminole's who went to war over this act with some also fleeing to parts of Florida.
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The outcome and results of the Trail of Tears is still ongoing today. First off, the immediate outcome was the tribes then settling in Oklahoma and starting anew. Every tribe immediately made a new government, chief, schools, etc. But following this act, was the Civil War. During the Civil War, some tribes fought for either side whilst some also lost land in the peace time efforts. Following this was the allotments that were introduced. This gave every Native family some land and helped split up the tribe. Also during this time, the government started to dissolve their governmental system and due to the land the Native Americans became citizens. Things stuck like this until around the start of the Civil Rights Movement. During the time leading up to the movement, most tribes were in poverty and were poor. This was because they didn't have any government anymore and their one Principal Chief had to be approved by the U.S government. During the start of the Civil Rights Movement is when things got better as people started realizing what was happening to the Native Americans and starting organizing certain events to help secure Native American rights. These eventually worked and in 1970 the Snyder Act was introduced which gave Native American's the right to vote and therefore also vote for their own chiefs without U.S interference. This is also when all of the other controls loosened on Native Americans and they were free. From here, it was only up. All of them made new constitutions and new systems. Most tribes slightly modernized with some focused on economic growth. The best example of this is the Chickasaw's who focused on economic prosperity. While some focused on economy, that doesn't mean all have. The biggest example of this is the Seminole's who are a smaller tribe and focus on traditional ways.
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There are still long lasting affects from the Trail of Tears. The largest and most noticeable being the still sadness when it comes to loosing their old land. Even too this day, it is still a largely talked about subject. However, something that is more important is how perseverance is present as a common theme for Native Americans. From loosing their land to almost loosing their whole way of life. One thing is clear, they never gave up. They always rebuilt and would never give up. This perseverance is special as it is easy to doubt that no other person would be able to continue on after loosing your ancestral land and your whole government. In the end, the Trail of Tears was an awful event that lead to pain and destruction for all 5 tribes. They continued to be overcast and underappreciated from the government until the citizens had to step in and give these sovereign nations the freedom they deserve. There are still lasting impacts from the Trail of Tears and they will never go away and never fade.