Could You Survive on the Trail of Tears?

Introduction:
The Trail of Tears was traveled by the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and
Seminole Indians. Andrew Jackson, with the help of Congress, passed the Indian
Removal Act of 1830. This required Native Americans to forfeit their land rights
and be relocated to the Oklahoma Territory. The Cherokee referred to this route as
the Trail of Tears, where around 4,000 of the 15,000 died along the way.
Task:
You will be traveling along the Trail of Tears like the tribes of the Southeast
did...only you will be doing it using the Internet. Complete a series of steps to take
you along the trail and decide for yourselves, if you could have survived the Trail of
Tears.
Process:
Complete the following tasks to gain information about the Trail of Tears to help
you decide if you could really survive.
Task 1- Tribal Information
o The Trail of Tears was taken by five different tribes from the Southeast:
Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole.
o Select one of the five tribes to use while completing the Trail of Tears
Worksheet
Research Links
Cherokee- http://www.bigorrin.org/cherokee_kids.htm
Chickasaw- http://www.bigorrin.org/chickasaw_kids.htm
Choctaw- http://www.bigorrin.org/choctaw_kids.htm
Creek- http://www.bigorrin.org/creek_kids.htm
Seminole- http://www.bigorrin.org/seminole_kids.htm

Task 2- Pick a Name

o To help you assume the role of a native, select a Native American Name
for yourself. Try to pick one from the tribe you selected.
o Use the following link to find a name and information about it.
http://www.babynameguide.com/categorynativeamerican.asp?
strCat=Native-American
Record the information on your worksheet

Task 3- Indian Removal Act

o Research and answer the questions about this important piece of
legislation
o Use the following link to help you answer the worksheet questions.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html

Task 4- Life on the Trail

o Research what it would have been like to travel along the trail. Use the
following links about different topics to answer the worksheet questions

Foodhttp://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/food/in
dex.htm
Trail Conditions- http://www.nps.gov/trte/historyculture/stories.htm
Land v. River Route- http://www.nationaltota.org/the-story/
Exhaustion- http://www.ehow.com/about_5116354_signs-symptomsextreme-exhaustion.html
Survivor Account- Samuel Cloud