12. The Role of Missionaries
Missionaries played a complex part in the saga of the Trail of Tears. Some became outspoken advocates for Native rights, speaking out against removal and offering support where possible. Others, however, sided with government policies, believing relocation would “civilize” Indigenous peoples or further their own agendas. The Library of Congress highlights these mixed motives, revealing how faith-based actors sometimes offered compassion, but also, at times, enabled or legitimized the suffering and displacement.
