COVE

This image portrays the Trail of Tears, which began in 1831 after Andrew Jackson's signing of the Indian Removal Act. Many tribes were forced out of their lands in the eastern part of the United States and made to travel far west into the untamed lands beyond the Mississippi. Artist Robert Lindneaux created this painting to honor the Cherokee people specifically, as the Cherokee nation lost over three thousand lives on their forced journey west. The Cherokee people traveled for thousands of miles, battling hunger and disease and the elements along their way. This painting shows the Cherokees on their journey west. 

Though no surviving primary painting survives from this era, most historians agree that this image is accurate in its view of the Trail of Tears. Lindneaux used certain details in this work to highlight how miserable of a trek it was for the Cherokee nation. One detail in this image is the gray sky, indicating that a storm is near. The Trail of Tears was difficult and painful and bleak, just as the stormy skies in this painting help show. Also, it is worth noting the posture of the people in this painting. Most of the native people are walking or riding with a hunch, they are leaning more towards the ground. This makes them appear very downtrodden and almost hopeless looking. The solider on his horse in this image, however, is sitting with perfect posture. His back isn't bent at all, and he is looking straight forward with perfect resolute. This painting does a wonderful job of illustrating the miserableness of the Trail of Tears.

“The Trail of Tears.” PBS, WGBH, www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1567.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2020.