Regarding the first inhabitants of America, they might think of Christopher Columbus or European settlers; when in fact the first people were the Indians. The Cherokee Indians lived on the lands of what is now the United States for thousands of years before settlers ventured there. Little did they know that the new nation that would form around them would seriously affect the lives of their descendants. Life before the Trail of Tears but after the arrival of the new Americans was more or less simple for the Cherokees. They spend time hunting and fishing. Some of them even worked on plantations and even owned their own slaves, in an attempt to adapt to certain American lifestyles. The main difference between the Americans and the Indians was that the Indians believed that no one should actually own any land. The land was only at their disposal, according to their needs. This disagreement between people created serious problems in the future. John Ross and Major Ridge were two men who were both part Cherokee, but had little luck....

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