Reflective Essay On The Trail Of Tears

Words: 466
Pages: 2

I chose the Trail of Tears as my topic because it is a subject that I am very passionate about. I have had a passion for Native Americans and what happened during the Trail of Tears for a very long time and I am thrilled to be able to fulfill my dream of doing justice to what happened during the Trail of Tears. When I first discovered the theme for the 2016 National History Day, I wanted to include other topics and see which was the best, but it was no competition, I was positive that I was going to do the Trail of Tears as my topic. The fact that I had many Native American museums and communities near me made the decision easier. My research compiled of mostly documents and articles that I found online. I searched databases through EBSCO and using my local library's research system I also found some databases focused on only Native American information. Luckily for me, I live in Oklahoma, the home of the Cherokee. This meant that I had a lot of Native American heritage all around my community. I quickly found a museum near me that specialized in Native American studies so I could have some trusted information from people who knew what they were talking about. …show more content…
Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange is the topic and the Native American’s relationship with the new colonists first started with British pilgrims exploring North America. As time went on Europeans developed and decided that they liked the land and would live there. When the Europeans encountered the Native Americans they felt that they were ‘savages’ compared to themselves. They felt they deserved the land because of many reasons, including Manifest Destiny and other selfish and haughty ideas. The Native Americans exchanged culture with the colonists and they learned many things from each other including how to harvest food, military tactics, ways of life, etc. In conclusion, the Trail of Tears fits perfectly into the NHD