BOOK REVIEW-TRAIL OF TEARS BY OLADOKUN SULAIMAN

book review"trail of tears"
I first came across this sympathetic book Trail of Tears by Gloria Jahoda in my American history class. It is want of the sad story of imperialism, superiority complex that has been encircling human history – the case surrounding this story cover all act of evil that we should all avoid, be it ungratefulness, wickedness, racism. It happened everywhere, in africa, the japanese ocupation of powerless in asia, hittler did it, people have been treatened in many places with dangerous and powerful weapos of mas destruction either physical or psycoligically - Columbus was the person that discover the new land which was follow by mass immigration from other lands- the indigenous people accepted the new comer with open harm, cultured were reported to be nicely integrated – but at the end they, the settler forced the indigenous from their land – many political games surround this which you find out , the terrible part of the story which was narrated in this book and given the title is the route taken by the oppressed -A journey west, full of bitter pill forced upon powerless by authority that cared little for their culture or society, and even less about justice. People were forced in brutal winter, under military operations to leave their land - The cause of this terrible events is problem of leadership from parties involved – this is the why we must be careful about leadership, giving our mandates to those who care less about the populace, those who will sell the people for peanuts and those who use power to satisfy their selfish and short- term benefits , those who don’t care about the future and the right of those kids that deserve privilege to also live in this planet . Today, despite human acheivement in many technological front , the social front which is very important in the little time we will all spend here get more more deteriorated and devalued. It all seem as if we never learnt lesson from our past. what is wrong? is it because we forget so easy ? or We don`t value lesson -learnt from history? Well, whatever, this is rhetoric to myself, aslong this life is as short as it is , horrible things like this should not happen.It is able most people that feel will read with tears. Now, Lets have allow about what people say about this book.

Editorial Reviews




Book Description
Insightful, rarely told history of Indian courage in the face of White expansionism in the 19th century. Truth-telling tale of the ruthless brutality that forced the Native American population into resettlement camps and reservations, with a look at the few white Americans who fought to help them.

Spotlight Reviews




Edward Bosnar (Zagreb, Croatia)




Jahoda's "Trail of Tears" is a good companion to Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" - in fact, Brown basically picks up where Jahoda leaves off both chronologically and geographically. Although hardly comprehensive (such an account of the Indian removals east of the Mississipi would require many volumes), Jahoda nonetheless provides a rather exhaustive review of the removal of the "five civilized tribes" as well as a number of midwestern peoples. Jahoda notes the particular senselessness of 'removing' the eastern tribes, as many had already been integrated into the lifestyle of the American settlers (some even became major plantation owners, complete with slaves) and/or became devout Christians. What comes out here is that it was not a matter of dealing with 'savages' but racism, plain and simple. Needless to say, "Trail of Tears" is not only an illuminating history but also a rather instructive text.

Customer Reviews




Eagles Soar (USA)




This movie was influenced by the writings of the white people. The costuming was not correct, as they Indians progressed down The Trail of Tears, their clothes would have been torn, dirty and tattered. They did not have all the nice blankets that the movie protrayed! Many Indians froze to death because of lack of clothing and warm coverings. If it was really been written by the Indians that were on the Trail of Tears, it would have been protrayed all together different. It would have shown the REAL truth about what happened, like in the book called the "End of the Trail of Tears". This book shows the REAL truth, written by a real Native American, and all the hardships that they had to endure during their forced removal to Oklahoma.

Rachel Elaine




"The Trail of Tears: The Story of The American Indian Removals, 1813-1855" is a painfully honest, detailed and unbiased reporting of events mostly omitted from school history textbooks and other mainstream sources.

Author, Gloria Jahoda combines inexhaustible research, bringing prominent figures in history to life, with beautiful and sometimes poetic writing to an important and educational book that reads like a fast-paced, succulent novel.

Unless one has extensive prior knowledge in this sordid chapter of American history already, it is guaranteed to provoke outrage. This holocaust is shocking, horrifying and sad in the re-telling and the fact that it is still seemingly swept under the rug by too many, even today.

"The Trail of Tears" is but hardly a beginning in the woes that actually besieged the true Natives of America, but Gloria Jahoda had done wonders in condensing 42 years of brutality, revolting attitudes and devious measures in swindling land and then "removing" the then eastern tribes of Native American Indians (Senecas, Delawares, Shawnees, Choctaws, Sacs, Creeks, Foxes, Cherokee, Chickasaws, Mandans, Potawatomis, Seminoles and Chippewas among others) to what was then considered an uninhabitable, foreign and barren desert land of the west by a government intent on merchandising and stripping ancestral homes, sacred grounds and lands, along with human rights while claiming justification in their systematic plans, blinded by greed.

There is mention of the notable ones with a conscious, not caught up in the misguided, ungodly and unjustly actions ("...the treaty is indeed a thing as illegal as possible...It seems to me that if the government has not decided to be completely unjust, they [the Indians] will be listened to....") but their numbers were too few and attempts to stop the evils remained futile.

The trail of tears, may now be covered up by the hardened roadways of America's forefathers, but it is rendered open and bared within the pages of "The Trail of Tears."

The ending paragraph of the book reads, "In the East, America had stolen the lands of her original discoverers and shipped those discoverers out like so many cattle. In the West, she permitted the extermination of their food in the new land. In the decade from 1840 to 1850 the country acquired approximately 20,000,000 acres from the Indians at a cost close to $3,000,000, roughly fifteen cents an acre. In exchange, the Indians had gotten 4,000,000 acres of land that was considered unfit for human life unless that life belonged to people with red skins. Every treaty left the Indian tribes of the nation poorer, while the nation itself grew richer as it moved inexorably toward the Civil War which would rend but not destroy it. The Trail of Tears had had its start where the sun rose. Finally, in the West of vast skies, thrusting grasses, painted sunsets, and dwindling buffalo, that trail became the road to Wounded Knee."

I consider this a "must read" type of book. Recommended for a continued education of our native people's plight: "How The West Was Lost" video series and the book, "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: An Indian History of The American West" by Dee Alexander Brown. Also, "A Sorrow In Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh" by Allan W. Eckert.

Other narration of about this book @ North Georgia History, Native Americans in North Georgia. http://www.ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html

The Cherokees in 1828 were not nomadic savages. In fact, they had assimilated many European-style customs, including the wearing of gowns by Cherokee women. They built roads, schools and churches, had a system of representational government, and were farmers and cattle ranchers. A Cherokee alphabet, the "Talking Leaves" was perfected by Sequoyah.
In 1830 the Congress of the United States passed the "Indian Removal Act." Although many Americans were against the act, most notably Tennessee Congressman Davy Crockett, it passed anyway. President Jackson quickly signed the bill into law. The Cherokees attempted to fight removal legally by challenging the removal laws in the Supreme Court and by establishing an independent Cherokee Nation. At first the court seemed to rule against the Indians. In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, the Court refused to hear a case extending Georgia's laws on the Cherokee because they did not represent a sovereign nation. In 1832, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee on the same issue in Worcester v. Georgia. In this case Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Cherokee Nation was sovereign, making the removal laws invalid. The Cherokee would have to agree to removal in a treaty. The treaty then would have to be ratified by the Senate.

In one of the saddest episodes of our brief history, men, women, and children were taken from their land, herded into makeshift forts with minimal facilities and food, then forced to march a thousand miles(Some made part of the trip by boat in equally horrible conditions). Under the generally indifferent army commanders, human losses for the first groups of Cherokee removed were extremely high. John Ross made an urgent appeal to Scott, requesting that the general let his people lead the tribe west. General Scott agreed. Ross organized the Cherokee into smaller groups and let them move separately through the wilderness so they could forage for food. Although the parties under Ross left in early fall and arrived in Oklahoma during the brutal winter of 1838-39, he significantly reduced the loss of life among his people. About 4000 Cherokee died as a result of the removal. The route they traversed and the journey itself became known as "The Trail of Tears" or, as a direct translation from Cherokee, "The Trail Where They Cried" ("Nunna daul Tsuny").
Ironically, just as the Creeks killed Chief McIntosh for signing the Treaty of Indian Springs, the Cherokee killed Major Ridge, his son and Elias Boudinot for signing the Treaty of New Echota. Chief John Ross, who valiantly resisted the forced removal of the Cherokee, lost his wife Quatie in the march. And so a country formed fifty years earlier on the premise "...that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.." brutally closed the curtain on a culture that had done no wrong.

Well friends , all what I know is that what happened has happened and what is left for us is to forgive one another, it is also imperative not to make false generalization , because in every race you find the same kind of people , it is up to us to use our wisdom to identify the good one among us --- of course those who fear God are the best – They will always think about humanity and remember that they are doing Gods work. It is also important to remember generation of those who are victims of this wicked act of cinism. There no doubt that such act will take generations to be healed but we must opportunity of today, to show feel of sympathy and help their kids. Conditions in Indians reservation today is not like what they are experiencing in the third world nations, however, it should be clear that, no place no society will change until the people are ready to stand for change, or until they change- The secrete world is society everwhere should love and care for one another and others , as far as I a concerned , our purpose in life is to free ourselves with what we have learnt , to choose right right path, and to free others with whatever we are entrusted with by the Master of the universe-This make a matter of responsibity for those who have capacity and acquaintance to make friend with the victims in order to assimilate them into the system- for through assimilation, odious act in history can easily melt and bring all concern to the same wavelength to live with peace the only place where our happiness dwell.

dokunsulaiman@yahoo.com