Source A: The Trail of Tears Report

"The journey was a harrowing experience for the Cherokee people. Many suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation as they were forced westward. Entire families were broken apart, and numerous lives were lost during the long march. The government officials justified the removal as necessary for progress, but the suffering endured by the Cherokee was immense and often ignored in official reports. The trail stretched over hundreds of miles, with thousands of Cherokee being uprooted from their ancestral lands and relocated to designated Indian Territory. The hardships faced during this forced migration have been remembered as a tragic chapter in American history, symbolizing the cruelty of policies driven by expansion and prejudice." Provenance: Anonymous government report, 1838, official government document