what was the trail of tears?

The Trail of Tears refers to the forced relocation during the 1830s and 1840s of Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole, from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States to designated Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River (present-day Oklahoma). This removal was a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and was marked by immense suffering, hardship, exposure, disease, starvation, and death, with about 15,000 Native Americans dying during the journey. The term "Trail of Tears" evokes the great sadness and trauma these peoples endured as they were forcibly marched thousands of miles away from their homes under harsh conditions. Many died on the route or shortly after arrival, and the event is considered a dark chapter in American history, often regarded as an example of ethnic cleansing or genocide.