Trail of Tears

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law, giving him authority to negotiate with South Eastern Native American tribes their removal to lands west of the Mississippi. With this act in place, Jackson was able to threaten and force tribes into signing treaties — giving their land away forever. In this edition of AIB Presents: The Trail of Tears, we bring you voices of the Cherokee, past and present, with sounds from the 175th Anniversary Ceremony at New Echota and interviews with descendants of those who made it to Indian territory.