Maintaining large amounts of land has always been a goal of the American government. During the 1830s, large numbers of Native Americans were forcibly removed from their lands so that the Americans could claim them as their own. With little defense compared to the superior firepower of the Americans, the Native Americans had virtually no choice whether or not they wanted to move west from their lands. One specific group of Native Americans who were unfairly removed from their lands were the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee clashed with the American government and did not voluntarily relocate from their homelands in the southeastern parts of the United States. Although the Americans had substantial reasons for wanting Cherokee territory, they had no right to oust the Indians from their homeland. There were many events that led to and caused the Trail of Tears. One of the main reasons the United States wanted Cherokee land was to open up the eastern lands to European American immigrants (Bertolet). During the 1820s, as the Eastern population grew, Southern states urged the federal government to remove the Indians from their lands. The government tried to appease the Southern states by proposing treaties with the tribes. The Indians believed the land was rightfully theirs, so they did not accept these treaties. Because the Indians did not agree with the government, President Andrew Jackson passed and signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This act allowed the president to exchange Indian lands for lands west of the Mississippi River. This act was unfair to the Cherokee Nation and the Indian people because they had no say in the passing of this act. Supporters of the Removal Act argued that it would allow Americans and immigrants to... middle of paper ...... reserve community structures such as clans and kinship relationships (nationalhumanitiescenter.org). The removal of the Cherokee Indians from their lands in the Southeast represents the largest Indian relocation in American history (Sides 362). It was unfair for Americans to take over Indian land to make room for more Americans and immigrants. The Indians had done nothing to deserve this kind of brutal treatment. These Indians had no way to fight back against the Americans, so it was both unfair and unjust. The Trail of Tears, or as the Indians called it The Trail Where They Wept, was a path of sickness and despair (Ehle 385). No one should ever have to go through what the Cherokee and other tribes went through. Although Americans had some valid reasons for wanting Indian land, they had no right to forcibly remove Indians without their consent..