In the late 1830s most Cherokee in the Southeast were forcibly removed by the federal government, walking overland on the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory. Descendants of those who remained in this area later organized and were federally recognized in 1868 as the Eastern Band of Cherokee, based in Western North Carolina.
In the late 1830s, most Cherokee in the Southeast were forcibly relocated by the federal government, trekking overland on the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory. The descendants of those who stayed in this region later formed and were federally acknowledged in 1868 as the Eastern Band of Cherokee, based in Western North Carolina.