The largest challenge faced by American Indian groups on the Trail of Tears was the forced removal from their ancestral lands. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized the government to negotiate treaties with Native American tribes in order to relocate them to lands west of the Mississippi River, primarily in present-day Oklahoma. This forced removal disrupted the lives and cultures of the Native American tribes, as they were uprooted from their homes, forced to leave behind their belongings, and faced harsh conditions and treatment during the journey. Many died from exposure, disease, and starvation along the way, making the Trail of Tears a humanitarian tragedy.
