Non-fiction: Westward Expansion The Trail of Tears

Westward Expansion
The Trail of Tears
In May 1838, U.S. troops began to remove Cherokee Indians from their
homes. In Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, Andrew Jackson led U. S. troops
in this task. They used force when the Cherokees would not move of their own
accord.1 Families were split up. The Cherokees had very little time to even
collect their belongings.
At first, the Cherokees were held in camps in Tennessee. From the
miserable, overcrowded internment2 camps, the entire Cherokee people were
marched over 800 miles to Oklahoma. Almost one out of every five Cherokee
died. This long journey became known as the Trail of Tears.
Why did the U.S. government move the Cherokees? Basically, the
government wanted to sell the land where the Cherokees lived. The Indian
Removal Act of 1830 gave the U. S. government legal power to move the Indians
in order to make room for the settlers. Though the Act was legal, it was neither
just nor fair.
The Cherokees challenged this act before the U. S. Supreme Court and
Chief Justice John Marshall. Justice Marshall ruled in favor of the Cherokees.
He said that the act was unconstitutional. However, President Andrew Jackson
was determined that the Indians would leave. Supposedly he said, John
Marshall has made his decision; let him enforce3 it. According to the
Constitution, the President is supposed to enforce the laws. The Court is
supposed to interpret4 the law. But Andrew Jackson got around this
technicality.
He waited until the U.S. government convinced a small number of
Cherokees that they would never be able to stay in the Southeast. The
government told them that they would be better off if they gave up all of their land
right away. At that time, the Cherokee Nation was very organized and had a
1

accord desire or wish

internment - prison
3
enforce to make someone do something
4
interpret to decide what something means
2

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Non-fiction: Westward Expansion The Trail of Tears

government with chosen representatives of the people. Even though this small
number of Cherokees did not represent the greater Cherokee Nation and were
not part of its government, the U.S. government accepted a treaty from them. In
the treaty,5 these few Cherokees signed away the land of the whole tribe.

treaty an agreement
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Questions: Westward Expansion The Trail of Tears

Name: ____________________________

Date:______________________

1. According to the Constitution,

a. the President, Andrew Jackson, should have listened to the
Supreme Courts decision.
b. the President, Andrew Jackson, could do whatever he wanted.
c. the Supreme Court should have minded its own business.
d. the Supreme Court enforces the laws.

2. What gave the U.S. the power to remove the Cherokee Indians?
a.
b.
c.
d.

The Constitution
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Supreme Court
Andrew Jackson

3. Which of the following occurred first?

a. The Indian Removal Act of 1830.
b. U.S. troops removing Cherokee Indians.
c. The U.S. Supreme Court deciding the Indian Removal Act was
illegal.
d. The Cherokee Indians being placed in internment camps.

4. In the first sentence of the last paragraph of the passage, the pronoun he
refers to
a.
b.
c.
d.

John Marshall.
a Cherokee leader.
Andrew Jackson.
a U.S. soldier.

5. Why did the U.S. government want the Cherokee to move off their land?
a. Because the Cherokee were dishonest.
b. Because the U.S. government wanted to sell the land.
c. Because the U.S. government wanted the Cherokee to live in a
better place.
d. Because of the war with France.

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Questions: Westward Expansion The Trail of Tears

6. What kind of person was Andrew Jackson? Choose one adjective to describe
him and support your choice with details from the text.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. After the Supreme Court ruled The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was unjust
how did the U.S. government gain control of the Cherokee land?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best
completes the sentence.
First, Cherokee families were forced from their homes, ___________ they were
held in internment camps.
a. because
b. then
c. once
d. since
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
In 1831, John Marshall ruled The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was
unconstitutional and the Cherokee should not be forced to leave their land.
Who? John Marshall
(did) What? ___________________________________________________
When? __________________________________________________________
10. Vocabulary Word: interpret: to decide what something means.
Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: ________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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Answers: Westward Expansion The Trail of Tears

Teacher Guide and Answers

Passage Reading Level: Lexile 820
Featured Text Structure: Descriptive the writer explains, defines or illustrates
a concept or topic
Passage Summary: In order to sell the land the Cherokee lived on, the U.S.
government passed The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and removed the Cherokee
from their land. Then soldiers marched the Cherokee people 800 miles during
which almost one out of every five people died. This became known as the Trail
of Tears.
1. According to the Constitution,
a. the President, Andrew Jackson, should have listened to the
Supreme Courts decision.
b. the President, Andrew Jackson, could do whatever he wanted.
c. the Supreme Court should have minded its own business.
d. the Supreme Court enforces the laws.
2. What gave the U.S. the power to remove the Cherokee Indians?
a. The Constitution
b. The Indian Removal Act of 1830
c. The Supreme Court
d. Andrew Jackson
3. Which of the following occurred first?
a. The Indian Removal Act of 1830.
b. U.S. troops removing Cherokee Indians.
c. The U.S. Supreme Court deciding the Indian Removal Act was
illegal.
d. The Cherokee Indians being placed in internment camps.
4. In the first sentence of the last paragraph of the passage, the pronoun he
refers to
a. John Marshall.
b. a Cherokee leader.
c. Andrew Jackson.
d. a U.S. soldier.
5. Why did the U.S. government want the Cherokee to move off their land?
a. Because the Cherokee were dishonest.
b. Because the U.S. government wanted to sell the land.
c. Because the U.S. government wanted the Cherokee to live in a
better place.
d. Because of the war with France
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Answers: Westward Expansion The Trail of Tears

6. What kind of person was Andrew Jackson? Choose one adjective to describe
him and support your choice with details from the text.
Suggested answer: Answers will vary. Students could say that Jackson was
determined (to remove the Indians from their land), defiant (in disobeying the law
as determined by the Supreme Court, or sneaky (in coming to terms with a small
group of Cherokee whom he knew did not represent the whole tribe).

7. After the Supreme Court ruled The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was unjust
how did the U.S. government gain control of the Cherokee land?
Suggested answer: The government convinced a few members of the
Cherokee tribe they would not be able to stay on the land and would be better off
moving. The members of the tribe, who were not the Cherokee government
representatives, signed a treaty giving the land to the government.

8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best
completes the sentence.
First, Cherokee families were forced from their homes, ___________ they were
held in internment camps.
a. because
b. then
c. once
d. since

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

In 1831, John Marshall ruled The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was
unconstitutional and the Cherokee should not be forced to leave their land.
Who? John Marshall
(did) What? ruled The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was unconstitutional
When? 1831

10. Vocabulary Word: interpret: to decide what something means.

Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: answers may vary.

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