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The Trail of Tears
Editorial Project
As American settlers moved ever westward in the 1800s, conflict continued with the Native Americans who lived in these territories. The federal government used a combination of treaties and force to move Native Americans westward. The treaties were worthless, because Native Americans were forced repeatedly to give up their land that had been guaranteed by treaty.
In the late 1830s, President Andrew Jackson began his policy of Indian removal – forcing all Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi. Even though the Cherokee won their case in the Supreme Court to keep their land, Worcester v. Georgia (1832), President Jackson ignored the ruling. In 1838, President Martin Van Buren (Jackson’s successor) ordered the U.S. Army to the Cherokee homeland to take them on a forced march known as the Trail of Tears.
The road 17,000 Cherokee Indians plodded into exile more than 160 years ago winds 1,200 miles through the heartland of America from North Carolina to Oklahoma. A proud nation, uprooted and dispossessed, traveled it for six long, bitter months in the winter of 1838-39. Sickness broke out at every mile. One person out of every four died on the forced march. The humiliation and suffering that the Cherokee experienced on this sorrowful march have no parallel in American history. The story of that march into exile and its cause forms one of the darkest chapters in the history of American empire building.
Directions. The year is 1838 and you are a newspaper reporter assigned to write an editorial article on President Jackson’s Indian removal policy. [An editorial is article by a news organization that expresses an opinion rather than attempts to simply report the news.] After researching the subject, you have spent some time traveling with the U.S. Army and the Cherokee people from Georgia to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
Your task is to write an editorial about the policy of the United States toward the Cherokee and what you have seen in your travels. You may choose to support or to criticize the government’s policy of Indian removal.
Explain the background of the issue: the history of treatment of the Native Americans by the white men in America, the Cherokee position, and the President’s position. Be creative in your writing and use examples and details from your research.
Include a graphic of some kind in your article: a picture, a map, a graph, etc.
Your editorial must be a minimum of two pages in length (excluding the graphic), but no more than three pages. It must be typed, double spaced, with standard 1 inch margins, and use Times New Roman 12 point font. You must use at least THREE sources and cite your sources at the end of your editorial using MLA formatting.
Editorial Grading Rubric
20
15
10
5
SupportingDetails
Provides 3 or more strong details, reasons and/or examples from your research in support of the opinion
Provides 3 details, reasons and/or examples from your resources in support of the opinion.
Provides at least 2 details, reasons and/or examples from your resources in support of the opinion.
Provides little or no support of the opinion.
Tone/Language
Chooses words that are clear, descriptive and accurate. Maintains consistent persuasive tone throughout article.
Adequately chooses words that are clear and descriptive. Demonstrates a persuasive tone in parts of the article.
Chooses some words that are clear and descriptive. Lacks consistent persuasive tone.
Language and tone of article is unclear and lacks description.
Organization / Format
Sentences and paragraphs are complete, well written and varied. All directions are followed.
Sentence and paragraph structure is generally correct. Most directions are followed.
Sentence and paragraph structure is inconsistent. Few directions are followed.
Little or no evidence of sentence or paragraph structure. No directions are followed.
Conclusion
Summarizes personal opinion in a strong concluding statement.
Summarizes personal opinion in a concluding statement.
Concluding statement is a weak summary of personal opinion.
Concluding statement makes no reference to personal opinion.
Mechanics and Grammar
Contains few, if any punctuation, spelling or grammatical errors. Sources are cited using MLA formatting.
Contains some errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar that do not interfere with meaning. Sources are not cited using the proper format.
Contains many punctuation, spelling and/or grammatical errors that interfere with meaning. Sources are not cited.
Contains many punctuation, spelling and/or grammatical errors that make the piece illegible. Sources are not citied.
DATE DUE: __________________________________
