What is the historical significance of the Trail of Tears?

The significance of the name "Trail of Tears" differs by historical
perspectives. It may be geographic, temporal, emotional, political, or all at once.

Westward expansion was a cornerstone of U.S. policy in the
administrations of Presidents Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) and Martin Van Buren (1837-1841).
Policy and related practice focused on providing land to white settlers, generally by taking it
from Native Americans. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, authorizing treaty
agreements and forced relocation of Native peoples. The major phase occurred between 1835 and
1839, as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Ponca, and Seminole people were forcibly moved from the
Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama to the "Indian...

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