Posted in Illinois
June 19, 2020
The Trail Of Tears In Illinois Winds Through 60 Miles Of Land of Lincoln History
One of the most historic stretches of the Trail of Tears is found in Illinois, and while guests can walk the path, it puts hikers in the footsteps of a terrible stain that has been left on the country for centuries. A protected area has been built up around the marked trail that Native Americans were once forced to take while being removed from their land, and it can still be walked today. Check it out:
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Cherokee began their crossing into Illinois at Golconda after passing through Tennesee and Kentucky and traveled to Jonesboro where they eventually made it across the Mississippi River into Missouri on their way to Oklahoma. The path was longer than necessary as smallpox and other diseases were rampant among native communities, and towns would not let them enter.


There were five remaining tribes that had decided to assimilate, convert to Christianity, and otherwise give in to the will of white settlers in order to keep their settlements. These tribes were the Muscogee (aka Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee.


They were made to leave their land in early December and crossed southern Illinois around December 26, 1838. It took three months for the Cherokee to completely get across Illinois due to freezing temperatures that caused giant ice blocks to crash into each other in the Mississippi River. This portion of the trail was where they suffered most deaths due to not being prepared for the cold.



If you’ve ever hiked the Trail of Tears in Illinois, we’d love to hear from you. Please share your experiences and photos with us below in the comments.
For more like this, check out seven more historic hiking trails in Illinois.
Address: 3240 State Forest Rd, Jonesboro, IL 62952, USA