We Shall Remain: Trail of Tears Pt. 3 of 5

Troops forced thousands of Cherokee from their homes in the Southeastern United States.

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We Shall Remain: Trail of Tears Pt. 3 of 5 American Experience

Premiered October 31, 2010

We Shall Remain: Trail of Tears Pt. 3 of 5

On May 26, 1838, federal troops forced thousands of Cherokee from their homes in the Southeastern United States, driving them toward Indian Territory in Eastern Oklahoma. More than 4,000 died of disease and starvation along the way.

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Episode Extras

Harry Oosahwee discusses the importance of using the Cherokee language in Trail of Tears.

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We Shall Remain: Cherokee Language

White Americans offered Native Americans equality -- if they became more like them.

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"Civilization" and Native Americans

In 1832 the United States Supreme Court recognized Cherokee sovereignity.

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Are the Cherokee an Independent Nation?

Sequoyah invented a written language for the Cherokee.

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Creating a Written Alphabet for the Cherokee

In May 1838 the United States began removing Cherokee from their homes in Georgia.

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Evacuating the Cherokee People

President Andrew Jackson supported moving Native Americans west of the Mississippi.

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President Jackson and the Indian Removal Bill

The effects of 1830s policies on Native Americans are still felt today.

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The Consequences of the Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears march caused the death of more than 4,000 Cherokee people.

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What Was the Trail of Tears?

The 1836 treaty of New Echota required the Cherokee to move out west.

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Will the Cherokee Be Exiled?

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About the Program

American Experience

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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