Customer Reviews

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

John Ehle, a native son of North Carolina, has dedicated most of his life toward using his pen to bring to life the rich history of his birthstate. With Trail of Tears, he has succeeded again where so many others, in this day and age of political correctness and historical revisionism, have failed. Ehle's work is factually rich, it is obvious Mr. Ehle spent many hours in archives thoroughly researching the book's subject matter. The book's narrative structure is compelling, focusing on the role of several prominent families within the Cherokee Nation to animate the hierarchical structure of Cherokee society and the stratification of power therein.

Some readers will be shocked to discover how pervasive European culture was within significant elements of the Cherokee nation in North Carolina. The curiosity of most readers will be piqued again and again with the factually accurate exposure to the structure of the Cherokee's -- Christian churches, post office, town hall -- how they made a concerted effort to adapt to the European white world in an effort to integrate, and therefore survive, amidst a sea of change occurring during the 19th century.

Mr. Ehle's work has been criticized for its depiction of wealthy, landed Cherokee's as slave owners. This evidence flies in the face of the more contemporary interpretation of the brotherhood of the oppressed alleged to exist between persecuted American Indians and the African slave population. This notion is patently false. At the time, the Cherokees were neither persecuted nor advocates of slave rights. They were, as Mr. Ehle points out, consistently adapting the institutions of the white European settlers, good or bad, and slavery was one of those institutions the Cherokees adopted.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy here is that Mr. Ehle did not tell the story of other regional Indian nations, such as the Muskhogean tribes of the Chicksaw and Choctaw peoples, both of which suffered exponentially more at the hands of the American government and white European settlers than did the Cherokee. Unfortunately, as with most events in history, much of what we don't want to see is swept under the carpet of painful ingorance.

Despite this shortcoming, and one cannot fault Mr. Ehle for not expanding the scope of his work, I strongly recommend this book and understand why it continues to be found on the syllabi of all serious academic courses on American Indian history.

This book is filled with facts but as others have pointed out, it is also filled with errors and sometimes reads like a historical "fiction" novel. I have over a 100 books on this topic but I'd say go ahead and buy this book. If you want the best researched book on the topic, also purchase:

"Cherokee Tragedy: The Ridge Family and the Decimation of a People" by Thurman Wilkins.

Another fantastic book, which is out-of-print, is:

"Stand Watie and the Agony of the Cherokee Nation" by Kenny A. Franks.

The Franks book deals with the Cherokees and the Civil War.

Ehle's has a unique, fast paced, style of laying out the facts. This is an intense, no holds barred look at the end of the Cherokee Nation, most of which existed in present-day Northwest Georgia.

I do not recommend this work as an introduction to the Trail of Tears. You should have a good grasp of the people and events leading to North Georgia's Trail of Tears before attempting to read the book since Ehle frequently does not introduce minor characters, and does not spend much time introducing the major characters and events.

The book is well researched but controversial, since there are essentially two sides to the story, that of Major Ridge and that of John Ross. This gives a balanced presentation of both sides, although I suspect that fans of Major Ridge may disagree.

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle. Highly recommended.

In Trail of Tears, John Ehle (who is, as far as I can tell, non-Native) sketches the people and events that led to the infamous Trail of Tears, the removal of the Cherokee Nation to "Indian Territory" (primarily Arkansas and Oklahoma) where they would "never" be bothered by whites again. The focus is on the "Treaty Party," consisting of Ridge, his son John Ridge, and his nephews Elias Boudinot and Stand Watie, along with Moravian, Methodist, and other missionaries sent to convert the Cherokees to Christianity and who are caught up in Cherokee/state/federal politics.

Ehle's bias is evident in the title; the "rise" of the Cherokees is the effort, not wholly embraced by the Nation, of adapting to European-American culture, language, religion, and even livelihood (e.g., Cherokee hunting is uncivilized, whereas the adoption of American farming is preferable). The story begins with some background and the birth of a Cherokee man named Ridge not too long before the American Revolutionary War. The white impact has already begun to be felt, as one of Ridge's forebears is white, and he and his family are driven into the wilds by the war.

After the war ends, the new Americans have one craving-land and more land. A gold strike in Georgia adds to the fever. The Cherokee, along with the Choctaw, Creek, and other southern tribes, are perceived as "wasting" land that their white counterparts should be entitled to. From this point on, it is clear that the Juggernaut of American expansionism and greed will displace the Native peoples. The question is only how and when.

Meanwhile, Ridge, who will not convert to Christianity but who wholeheartedly adopts many white ways for himself and his children, becomes not only a wealthy plantation owner but a leader of the Cherokee Nation. His son becomes an attorney, while Boudinot becomes the first editor of the Cherokee newspaper, The Phoenix. Both young men marry white New Englanders they meet while at school. Ridge and his family and allies are the first to see the writing on the wall-that the Cherokees will be removed; it is a matter of whether it is "voluntarily" on their own terms in their own time or involuntarily.

The principal chief of the Cherokee, a Cherokee-Scot named John Ross, is portrayed as a man in a state of denial. It is never clear how he thought the Cherokee could overcome the overwhelming tide of white intrusion without bloodshed and without losing. He and his followers blame the Ridge faction for selling the Cherokee out when they sign the Treaty of 1835 that puts the seal on the removal. They feel that they can continue to "negotiate," not realising that Andrew Jackson has set the tone and the terms-and that the federal government under his leadership has loaded the die. Ehle is no John Ross fan; when the inevitable finally happens and the Cherokee are removed, Ross sends them via the lengthy, dangerous, time-consuming land route, resulting in hundreds if not thousands of deaths (the number remains unknown), while Ross and his family use the quicker, less treacherous water routes.

There are several dichotomies in this history-the Upper Towns vs. the Lower Towns; the full-bloods vs. those with white ancestors/family; the uneducated (mostly full-bloods, according to Ehle) vs. the educated (John Ridge, Boudinot); the federal government vs. state government (a dichotomy that would be resolved violently through the Civil War). A forest/mountain vs. town dichotomy is also evident. In any case, anything that speaks of the way the Cherokee used to be is seen as "primitive," while Cherokee adoption of white ways is lauded by their neighbors. In fact, this is seen as the heart of the problem; the Cherokee people are pliable, are willing to adapt, are willing to live like the whites-and in the end are treated no better than their Creek, Choctaw, and Seminole counterparts. Ehle includes much contemporary commentary on this particular irony.

This book has been said to be controversial because it shows the wealthier Cherokees, like Ridge, John Ridge, and John Ross as owning African slaves. The Cherokees tried to marry their own ways with that of the European-Americans; they had always had slaves, usually captives from other tribes. But it is clear that the majority of Cherokees were poor, did not own plantations, and did not exploit slaves.

Trail of Tears is an excellent snapshot of a particular situation and will be eye opening to those who are not familiar with the story of the southern tribes and their interactions with the burgeoning American population. Ehle includes a wealth of primary sources, such as letters, journal excerpts, military orders, and the like, that serve to enrich the story. This history lesson is told in a story/fiction format enhanced by contemporary writings that keep it interesting, lively, and personal. Ehle's biases are clear but do not detract from this book as a history of a moment in time when the fate of a nation was decided. This is an excellent supplement to any broader history of the Trail of Tears.

Diane L. Schirf, 29 April 2001.

"Trail of Tears," by John Ehle, is a beautifully written book which educates and entertains, uplifts and depresses, frustrates and astonishes. The reader becomes painfully aware that the history we were taught in school virtually ignored an important part of the American story. The true nature of the Cherokee is exposed and examined through Ehle's obviously dedicated research, while throughout the book, the tone is less that of a documentary, and more that of a story being told, gripping the listener with each new development.

Heroes are exposed as miscreants, and statesmen as traitors to principles we all hold dear. The reader comes to realize just how close the Cherokee came to having an entirely different destiny than the one to which they finally succumbed, and becomes intimately acquainted with the characters and causes involved therein.

The book is a fast read, an eye-opener, and contains a story that all people, and especially all Americans, should know and pass on for generations to come.

Darwin might suggest that the exodus of the Cherokees from their native land to new territories was an example of a uniquely human ability to decide to survive. To remain in areas near an invading population with superior technology and ever growing numbers could easily result in annihilation. History had already proven this could be the case. What makes the Trail of Tears a segment of history that every American should be aware of is the uniquely inhuman reasons why the Indians were faced with a decision at all.

The book takes a cursory tour of history up to the time of the Trail of Tears then makes a more illustrative turn as it settles into describing the rift created within the Cherokee tribe surrounding their dilemma. John Ross and his followers preferred to stay, while Major Ridge and his son organized to leave.

This rift set in motion a number of well described events that not only tore the tribe apart in waves that echo to this day, it laid waste to many lives and much property along the way. Although the book starts with a plodding pace, it gradually builds into a complex weave of politics and a tragic drama.

The Trail of Tears certainly leaves one to question why are so proud of Andrew Jackson that he must be printed on every $20 bill and why we insist on calling the football team from Washington the "Redskins". We should recognize a derogatory attitude for what it is and have more respect for a civilization that held the original title to this land.

Ehle does far more than take his reader on a fact finding mission to dip beneath the surface of what led to and transpired during the nightmarish removal of the Cherokee Nation in 1838 when over 4,000 Indians died while walking 900 miles in the heart of winter. The bite-you-in-the soul-prose reads more like a fast paced novel. I came away from the book feeling that I was reliving the removal long after I read the last page. The only book about the Cherokee that touched my heart more was WALKING THE TRAIL/ONE MAN'S JOURNEY ALONG THE CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS.

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I found this book more of the history of the Ridge family. It wasn't as good as I had hope,but it did tell the story of what lead to the 'Trail of Tears'. I wish it also had more on Ross effort in the process. It is a good companion book for "The Cherokee" by Grace Steele Woodward. With both books you can get a greater feeling for what happen. I'm now looking for one about John Ross side of it. I have to give it a 4 star rating.

After reading this book for a college class, my heart just broke for the Native American Indians and how they were treated, assulted, and driven off their land. They walked that long winding trail and died by the thousands. Families were separated, divided, and death took a lot of the natives. This book is very informative containing the facts and details of the early history and leading up to to the removal of the Indians. the book grabs you and it seems to put you right there as it unfolds.

I read this book for a history class in college. I thought the autor did a good job at relating the story of the Cherokee Indians from their beginnings in Georgia and North Carolina to their removal to Oklahoma. The author also does a good job of not presupposing prior knowledge of the indian removals and the Trail of Tears. I thought that he could have expanded in some areas and shrunk in others. Overall, this was a very informative work.