The Trail of Tears (Cornerstones of Freedom

Explore the buildup to the relocation, the terrible conditions the natives were forced to suffer, and the event's impact on U.S.-Indian relations in the following years.

Even before the first glorious ring of the Liberty Bell, America was a land of freedom and promise. The Cornerstones of Freedom series explores what inspires people from all over the world to start life anew here, endure the economic and social upheavals, and defend the land and rights that are unique to the United States of America. As the United States continued to grow in the early nineteenth century, its people began to covet the land of their native neighbors. This greed led to a horrific forced relocation that we now call the Trail of Tears.