Book Review: John Ehle’s Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

The book Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle is a book about the Cherokee Indians and the suffering they endured during the late 1830s. Ehle wrote a book that was more than just a documentation of what happened on the Trail of Tears; he wrote a detailed documentation of Native American history. It centered more around the Cherokees than any other textbook could considering it helped visualize who the Cherokees were as people and not what they went through during such a political time period. Ehle used an abundance of historical facts to convey the Cherokee way of life before and during the Trail of Tears like no author of any textbook ever could. Furthermore, the way Ehle helped the audience envision the Cherokees is what I really enjoyed about this book. Starting out Ehle shapes the Cherokees in a way that helps the audience distinguish that they were not entirely blameless for what actually happened. He helps us take a look into the darker sides of the Cherokee culture we many not read in our textbooks or generally many websites that describe the culture. White Americans are generally blamed for always pushing themselves forward and at the rise to the top stepping over whomever comes their way, but now we see who America was stepping over. Regarding this, Cherokees were not so different from White Americans. Just like many other races the Cherokees held the belief that their race was the utmost superior. Anglo-Saxons of this time shared this view upon themselves. Cherokees held themselves to a higher standard and even had a yearning to rid their lands of white settlers believing they were more important as people than the whites. In a like manner to white settlers, they captured African Americans as slaves and used them to further their own agricultural means. They were not as brutal as the white settlers with the slaves, but they still contributed quite a significant amount of force. All the same, Cherokees were quite a violent people. Their shamanic rituals consisted of various types of tortures to their people and to their enemies. Cherokees would use the rituals, in spirit, to rid themselves of their enemies; however, for these people it was not just spiritual pain they sought to seek on their enemies. Many native men were taught either they would be a hunter or a warrior. The hunters would, of course, be taught to kill for food and targeted mainly animals which in turn they actually showed a great deal of respect towards their kill. On the other hand, the warriors were taught to show no mercy to their enemy. After the death of an enemy the warrior would generally cut open the flesh of the person and tear their insides out. On some occasions, it was seen as a sign of strength to cook and eat one’s enemy after their departure from the physical realm. Obviously, the Cherokees had some issues that were a little unheard of. Likewise, the Cherokees were a strong nation and wanted to make sure that White Americans understood this. The Cherokee Indians would fight for their land before just giving it up they felt it was more admirable than just giving up. The Cherokees would have actually embraced a war rather than been physically removed; however, Andrew Jackson saw it more appeasing to create an Indian Removal than initiate an all-out war. Smart on his part considering there was less blood shed for the people he was looking out for of course. A war would have meant a loss of more American lives than would have wanted to be. Americans believed that ridding the Indians from their land was all an act of national security. With the look into the Cherokees that this book provided this could very well be true. It showed how the Cherokees went as far as to form an alliance with America’s enemies in order to serve a greater effect towards the American people for what they did to them. The Cherokees were the most forceful in the removal and their people were murdered and forced to trek across a horrific journey with barely any type of bare necessities which is why so many of their people died. Above all, I would say I learned a significant amount from just reading this book. When I studied this chapter of history I regarded Andrew Jackson a monster for what he had done. It was until I read this book that I started to understand a more rationalized view for the Indian Removal Act. Although, I still do not agree with what happened I do understand a bit more now why it did. I think that there could have been another way for the two groups to see eye to eye. In the book, it acts as if there are only two scenarios: war or removal. Ehle barely touches on what type of effect there would have been had they just tried to coexist. I did enjoy this book very much considering I did learn a lot from it. Subsequently, for research purposes the book has a distinct amount of sources; however, they are not the easiest to navigate. Ehle includes an index in his book, but his book as actually quite thick for the small amount of sources. Seeing as Ehle actually sort of wrote the book in a narrative way I can understand why this is. This is actually another reason I liked his book; he created a story, but included a great deal of facts to back it all up. His combination of books, studies, and archives all come together to create a new wonderful source within itself. In summation, John Ehle wrote a remarkable historical narrative about the Cherokee Indians that some may have not known or forgot. He delves into the racism they carried, the brutality they showed to their tribe and others, and even their cannibalistic ways. He sheds a light onto the choice of the Indian Removal Act and shows in regards to the Cherokees what happened leading to the Trail of Tears. It was a very helpful and resourceful book. In turn, if you want to read more into the Cherokees and are confused as to why President was so adamant on the Indian Removal, this book will answer those questions.

References
Ehle, John. Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. New York: Doubleday, 1988.
Mooney, James. "The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees." Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees Index. Accessed April 20, 2015. http://sacred-texts.com/nam/cher/sfoc/index.htm.
Nero, Andee. "Trail of Tears by John Ehle." Wordpress. March 21, 2014. Accessed April 20, 2015. https://andeenero.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/review-trail-of-tears-by-john-ehle/.
"Trail of Tears." PBS. Accessed April 20, 2015. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1567.htm

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[ 1 ]. Nero, Andee. "Trail of Tears by John Ehle." Wordpress. March 21, 2014.
[ 2 ]. Ibid.
[ 3 ]. Ehle, John. Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. New York: Doubleday, 1988.
[ 4 ]. Ibid, 14.
[ 5 ]. Mooney, James. "The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees." Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees Index.
[ 6 ]. Ibid.
[ 7 ]. Ehle, John. Trail of Tears, 68.
[ 8 ]. "Trail of Tears." PBS.