Trail of Tears: The Tragedy of American Indians

Grade 8–10

Marsico uses primary sources to show "conflicting vantage points" to provide an objective, reasoned account that places the Cherokee relocation and the Trail of Tears into the context of American history. She opens with well-written background about the "principal people," as the Cherokee called themselves, and then discusses how the post-American Revolution expansion created conflict between the Cherokee and white settlers, the divisions that assimilation efforts and resistance to relocation caused within the tribe and its leadership, and the disastrous removal to Oklahoma. However, in keeping with the series theme, the author provides a longer perspective by describing how the Cherokee adapted to life in Oklahoma and their misguided alliance with the Confederacy, which led to further loss of land. She concludes by celebrating the tribe's resilience and its 20th-century cultural and linguistic rebirth that allows the Cherokee to live as assimilated Americans while maintaining their culture and identity. Throughout, Marsico includes information about the motivations and actions of white settlers, political leaders, and soldiers who moved the Cherokee west. The text is supplemented with illustrations, period art and photos, and brief sidebars. While this topic has been covered in John P. Bowes's The Trail of Tears: Removal in the South (Chelsea House, 2007), Marsico's book will help students better understand the tragic events and their place in history.