A Brief History of the Trail of Tears
Migration from the original Cherokee Nation began in the early 1800s. Some Cherokees, wary of white encroachment, moved west on their own and settled in other areas of the country. The majority, however, were forcibly expelled from their lands in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee and moved to the newly created Indian Nation in present-day Oklahoma in the late 1830s.
White resentment of the Cherokee was not a new phenomenon. Thomas Jefferson, who often cited the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois Confederacy as the model for the U.S. Constitution, supported Indian Removal as early as 1802. Animosity toward the Cherokee reached a pinnacle following the discovery of gold in northern Georgia, made just after the creation and passage of the original Cherokee Nation Constitution. Possessed by “gold fever” and a thirst for expansion, many white communities turned on their Cherokee neighbors. The U.S. government ultimately intervened, “removing” the Cherokee people from their farms, lands and homes.
Despite the fact that Cherokee allies saved Andrew Jackson’s military command — and almost certainly his life — at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814, as president he would authorize the Indian Removal Act of 1830. In 1832, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cherokee sovereignty and affirmed their right to remain on their land; however, President Jackson arrogantly defied the decision and ordered the removal, an act that established the precedent for the future expulsion of other Native Americans from their ancestral homelands.
In 1835, approximately 100 Cherokee signed the Treaty of New Echota, which relinquished Cherokee claim to all lands east of the Mississippi River in exchange for land in Indian Territory, along with the promise of money, livestock, provisions, tools and other rewards. The majority of the Cherokee Nation did not endorse this treaty, with opposition led by Chief John Ross, a mixed-blood of Scottish and one-eighth Cherokee descent.
The Treaty of New Echota led to bitter factionalism within the Cherokee Nation. Prior to the signing, the Cherokee Nation Council had passed a law calling for the death of anyone agreeing to give up tribal land. Many of the leaders of the pro-removal faction — known as the Treaty Party — would be killed upon the arrival of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory.
The U.S. government used the Treaty of New Echota to justify the removal, and President Jackson ordered the U.S. Army to begin enforcing the Removal Act. The Cherokee were rounded up in the summer of 1838 and held in prison camps before being loaded onto boats that traveled the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers into Indian Territory.
Nearly all of the 17,000 Cherokee people were forced from their southeastern homeland. An estimated 4,000 died from hunger, exposure and disease during this journey, which became a cultural memory known as the “trail where they cried” for the Cherokees and other removed tribes. Today it is widely remembered by the general public as the “Trail of Tears.”
-Information provided by the Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center.
Learn More
Many tribes were expelled from their lands and forced to travel the Trail of Tears, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole. And many other Nations, far beyond those forced to travel the routes known as the Trail of Tears, were also displaced or otherwise directly impacted by the Indian Removal Act.
Read stories from the Trail of Tears
View a larger map of the Trail of Tears.
To learn about Oregon's forced marches, start with David G. Lewis's research website.
More about And So We Walked:
Specialty Cocktails for "Major Barbara" and "And So We Walked"
From Pimm's to an earl grey simple, Bar Supervisor (and resident mixologist) Melissa Larrabee introduces the delicious specialty cocktails inspired by Major Barbara and And So We Walked.
From the Playwright: DeLanna Studi
"This play is a testament to the spirit of gadugi." And So We Walked playwright DeLanna Studi on her journey as a playwright and the journey of The Cherokee people.
"And So We Walked" Cultural Resources
Explore the world of the play through history, our playwright and recommended reading materials.
"And So We Walked" Educational Resources
Explore the world of DeLanna Studi's play through creative exercises, glossary and recommended reading materials.
Photos: "And So We Walked"
See photos from And So We Walked coming to The Armory March 31 - May 13, 2018.
"And So We Walked" Cast and Creative Team
Meet the cast and creative team of And So We Walked, a powerful, multi-faceted dramatic memoir about a Cherokee woman and her father revisiting their history on the Trail of Tears.
Joe Cantrell Exhibit
In celebration of And So We Walked, local Cherokee photographer Joe Cantrell's work will be on display in the Studio Lobby, March 31 - May 13.
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Improv Comedy: Love, Shakespeare
Witness the Magic of unscripted Elizabethan comedy! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
Season Superstars
Season Supporting Sponsors
