Trail Of Tears And Removal Of Africans

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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B.

There are many similarities and differences between removal of the Cherokee Indians from their homes and the removal of the African Americans from their homes. The first similarity was that the Cherokee and the African Americans did not want to leave their homes. The second similarity was that people wanted them to leave because they didn't "fit into American society." The third similarity was that both of them were moved a great distance from their homes. The Cherokee moved from Georgia to the Indian territory and the African Americans moved from the United States to Liberia, which is on the west coast of Africa.

One of the differences was that all of the Cherokee were forced to move while the African Americans could choose if they wanted to go or not. Free African Americans were encouraged to go, but did not have to go. Slave owners were encouraged to let their slaves free so go off and live in Liberia, but most owners chose not to let them go.

Another difference is that the removal of the Cherokee from Georgia was successful while the colonization plan of African Americans did not work.

The Cherokee resisted by taking legal action. They were able to get the Supreme Court in the case of Worchester v. Georgia to uphold their claim to their lands in Georgia. However, the Cherokee were unable to enforce their claim and had to leave. A group of free African Americans held a convention in New York during which they declared that the United States was their home. That was not particularly effective because the colonization plan was not successful. Neither option was effective.