8. The Trail of Tears (1838-1839)
The Trail of Tears refers to the forced removal of over 60,000 Native Americans—including the Cherokee, Creek, and other nations—from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States. As they were marched westward, thousands perished from disease, starvation, and harsh conditions. The U.S. government’s direct involvement in this tragedy is often marginalized or sanitized in mainstream history education, leaving the full scope of suffering largely unacknowledged. Read more.
