The Trail of Tears was part of a series of forced relocations of approximately 100,000 Native Americans between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government known as the Indian removal.Following the “Trail of Tears” a long, deadly march that killed over a third of the Cherokee, Boudinot was labeled a traitor, as was Sequoyah. Rival factions killed Boudinot, while Sequoyah had his fingers cut off, but his life was spared. Historically, Cherokee jewelry symbolically expresses the experiences from this period. Dec 06, 2020 · The Indian Removal Act was considered a voluntary act, but the natives were either strongly coerced to give up their lands or escorted west by the U.S. Army. This blot in American history is called the "Trail of Tears" by the Cherokee tribe, who suffered great depravation and humiliation from their forcible exile.