The United States was formed on the premise "that all men are created equal" and "justice for all". However one of the most brutal stories in history took place in this country. It is known as the Trail of Tears.
The territory in the Land of the Cherokees once covered eight states, but the Cherokees were forced to relocate to Oklahoma (then called Indian Territory) to make room for white settlers. The "Trail of Tears" was the forced removal (by the United States government) of the Cherokee Nation from its ancestral homeland in parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama to land set aside for American Indians in what is now the state of Oklahoma. Cherokee call this trail "Nunna-da-ul-tsun-yi", meaning "The Place Where They Cried."The Cherokees journey by water and land was over a thousand miles long, during which over 4,000 Cherokees died of disease and starvation along the way. Tragically, the story is also one of conflict within the Cherokee Nation as it struggled to hold on to its land and its culture in the face of overwhelming force.
This videoconference and lesson plan will bring to life the story of the Trail of Tears and the Cherokee Nation in the 1830s. “WALKING THE CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS” (Tuesday, October 27) at Vanderbilt Virtual School
Tuesday, October 27, 2009–
“WALKING THE CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS” with Jerry Ellis in the Hot Topics series
Time: 9:00 and 10:00 AM (CENTRAL time zone)
Targeted Audience: students in grades 4 - 12
Format: 45-minutes formatted into 30-minute presentation, and then 15-20 minute Q & A
Cost: $75 per site
Questions: Chandra Allison, at (615) 322-6511 or email chandra.allison@vanderbilt.edu
The Walking the Cherokee Trail of Tears videoconference is suitable for students in grades 4-12.
The Walking the Cherokee Trail of Tears book written by Jerry Ellis is recommended for adults.
