This documentary history provides a brief yet comprehensive treatment of the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians in 1838 from their lands in the southeastern United States to what later became Oklahoma. Drawn from diverse sources - Cherokee writings, government documents, speeches, and newspaper articles - the selections present a variety of perspectives on this tragic episode in American history. An introductory essay provides background information on racial attitudes, economic issues, and expansionism in early nineteenth-century America. Also included in the volume are detailed headnotes, photographs and maps, a chronology, and an index.