Name: Date: March 15, 2022

Indian Removal Act Webquest

Imagine being forced to leave your home when you have done nothing wrong. This is exactly what happened to
American Indians after Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. You will be completing a WebQuest to examine
the policy known as Indian Removal as well as the event that has come to be known as The Trail of Tears. 

The Indian Removal Act was signed into law

by President Andrew Jackson on May 28,
1830. The act authorized him to negotiate
with the Native Americans in the Southern
United States for their removal to federal
territory west of the Mississippi River in
exchange for their homelands.

The act was strongly supported in the

South, where people were eager to gain
access to lands inhabited by the Five
Civilized Tribes. Christian missionaries and
future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln
opposed the Indian Removal Act.

The Five Civilized Tribes were well

established as independent nations in the
southeastern United States. Thomas Jefferson's policy had been to respect the Native Americans' rights to their
homelands. Effectively, all Native Americans who had adopted a civilized behavior could remain east of the Mississippi.
However, Andrew Jackson sought to renew a policy of political and military action for the removal of the Native
Americans from these lands.

 In this WebQuest, you will become a Native American Indian who is forced to relocate to the Oklahoma territory when
President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act in 1830.  Travel alongside other Native Americans on the Trail of
Tears, their journey to Oklahoma. Learn about the "Five Civilized Tribes", Native American traditions and customs, the
Indian Removal Act of 1830, and the obstacles they encountered along the Trail of Tear

Task: After completing the 5 modules below, write a 1-2 page essay, pretending to be a Native American who has been
forced to relocate to the Oklahoma Territory because of the Indian Removal Act. 

Are you ready to begin?!!  There are 5 Modules that you will have to complete before beginning your essay.  Under
each module, follow the provided links, which will redirect you to a web page containing information on that particular
subject.
 * Please feel free to use additional websites to thoroughly prepare
yourself for the task ahead.*
Module One- Pick a Tribe

     The Trail of Tears involved the removal of the "Five Civilized Tribes" in Southeast America.  The "Five Civilized Tribes"
are the Cherokee, the Choctaw, the Chickasaw, the Creek, and the Seminole Indians.  Follow each link to learn about each
of the individual tribes' backgrounds, customs, and traditions.   When you have finished visiting each link, pick the tribe
that you wish to be a part of.  Make sure you take notes, as you will use this information in your essay! 

● 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
● Name of Tribe:
● Location in America:
● Roles of Women, Men, and Children:
● Rituals, Customs of the Tribe:
● Organization of leadership:
● Housing, Clothing, Food of your tribe:

Module Two- Pick an Indian Name

● 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.
● Use the following link to find a name and information about it.

● http://www.babynameguide.com/categorynativeamerican.asp?strCat=Native-American

1. What is your Indian name?

2. What does your Indian name mean?

Module Three-Indian Removal Act

Use the following link to help you answer the worksheet questions.

● http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.htmlIndian Removal Act of 1830

1. What were some of the events that led up to the Indian Removal Act?
2. Why were natives being forced from their land?
3. In 1831, the Supreme Court handed down a decision about the forcible movement of natives. What
did they say?
4. What powers did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 give President Jackson?
5. Why did the Americans want the natives to move west of the Mississippi River?
6. After the Indian Removal Act, what did the Supreme Court rule on it? What are your feelings towards this?
 7. What was the military round up that occurred shortly after the Indian Removal Act?

Module Four: Worchester v. Georgia

Use the following links to help you answer these questions.

● https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/supremecourt/antebellum/landmark_cherokee.html
● Worcester v. Georgia (summary)

1. What actions lead to the case and Georgia law being violated?
2. Who filed this lawsuit?
3. On what grounds was this suit filed? (What was the charge?)
4. Who was the presiding judge?
5. In which court did the trial take place?
6. Who won the case?
7. The Supreme Court’s verdict had several reasons for deciding the way it did in the case. Which TWO do you
agree on LEAST with? WHY?
8. Which constitutional Amendment was violated? What might it mean for American citizens if this Amendment
did not exist?

Module Five- Obstacles along the Trail

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

● Food- http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/food/index.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-symptoms-extreme-exhaustion.html
● Survivor Account- Samuel Cloud

1. What kind of food could you find consistently along the Trail to eat? (if applicable) Probably cornmeal or wheat.
Anything that grows along the trail

2. What were the weather conditions that Indians faced along the trail? (if applicable) In this particular era, it was
dreadful. God awful

3. What kind of disease ravaged the Indian tribes on the Trail and approximately how many Indians died as a result of it?
(If applicable) Whooping cough and typhus

4. What was the morale of Native Americans on the trail? Summarize the conditions and experiences from the firsthand
accounts.

They probably had sour feelings while watching others steal their land, eat their food, and kill their bison.
 Trail of Tears: Summative Essay
Task: Write a 1-2 page essay, pretending to be a Native American who has been forced to relocate to the Oklahoma
Territory because of the Indian Removal Act. 

Don't forget to include your Indian name and its meaning, the tribe you belong to, how you felt when you heard about
the Indian Removal Act, and your struggle along the Trail of Tears.  You should use information from the outlines you
made from modules 1-5, as well as your imagination!!! Below is a format for you to guide you in the writing of your
essay. 

How to formulate your essay

Paragraph 1: Introduction-

● Your name and tribe name

● Where in America you are located
● Reason for the story you’re telling (Ex. This is the story of my forced relocation to a new land….)

Second, and third paragraphs: Body

● Details from module 1 notes that you feel are important to your story
● Example: The story of my journey begins when I was born on…….My tribe has lived in …..for the last _____years.

Third and Fourth Paragraphs:

● Details from module 3 notes

o Include how you felt when you heard about the Indian Removal Act (be creative and share your own
feelings)
● Details from module 4 notes
o Consider the Supreme Court case and its verdict, and the actions that transpired afterwards (The Trail of
Tears). Was the verdict respected and followed by President Jackson? What impact does this have on you,
your family, and your tribal community? What might that mean for other groups in the United States?

Fourth and Fifth Paragraphs:

● Details from module 5 notes

o Include what you believe was the hardest part of the trail for you?
o What makes you think you could survive or what makes you think you couldn't?
o Did anyone you know (family or friends) die along the trail (& how)?
● REMEMBER TO BE CREATIVE

Final Paragraph:

● Your final thoughts about your experience

● Do you forgive the American Government?
● Could they have done something different?