The Trail of Tears from Southeast Tennessee to Oklahoma "Nunna dual Tsuny" (Trail Where They Cried)

The Trail of Tears is a tragic story of force winning over decency and power over justice. The trail consisted of three overland routes and one water route. The detachments departed at different times from various locations. Some of the overland trails are marked today with hghway markers but most of the trails are now on private property or were unrecorded and uncertain. The reason for the removal of the Cherokee from Southeast TN was greed of a land-hungry government who chose to enforce the Treaty of New Echota, signed in 1835 by an unauthorized minority faction of the Cherokee nation. This treaty ceded to the federal government all the tribe's lands east of the Mississippi River for $5,000,000 and new homes in Oklahoma. While waiting for the collection of their people, the Cherokee were held in stockades or encampments. Red Clay Fort and Fort Cass were two of three holding forts in Bradley County, TN. The water route departed from the banks of the Hiwassee River in Charleston, TN. The loading docks were near the site of Fort Cass, the present site of the historic home of Confederate Captain Henegar. The Indians suffered crowded, unsanitary conditions at the forts and insufficient food supplies.. Unspeakable hostilities occurred during their imprisonment. As many as 1/3 of the 4000 deaths along the trail were atributed to the conditions in the holding prisons prior to departure on the Trail of Tears. It is felt that the hostilities were at a minimum at the forts in Bradley County since the Cherokee had a place of some prominence in the area. A Cherokee school had existed near the location of Fort Cass and many Cherokee lived in homes as fine as any in the area.  They had converted to Christianity and held a respectful place in the community.  Sequoyah, the Cherokee renowned for singularly developing the Cherokee Syllabary and beginning the literacy movement among the people, was born and lived in southeast TN prior to his departure to Oklahoma, where he died..  Also, Nancy Ward, beloved chieftainess of the Cherokee lived nearby and is buried in adjacent Polk County.

Hiwassee River in Charleston, Tennessee

Tex, Dima and Josh on the Trail of Tears

PROBLEM #1: Ratio and Proportion                                                                            (Submitted by Allison) Richard Taylor was one of the military escorts who led a detachment of 1029 Cherokees on the westward journey. A. The Taylor detachment reported 942 safe arrivals including 15 new babies born on the trail.  What was the death rate, assuming no escapes? ________________________ B. What was the ratio of births to deaths? ___________________