In the late 1830s, thousands of Cherokee and Muscogee citizens were rounded up in the area that is now Chattanooga to prepare for the difficult and often deadly journey known as the Trail of Tears.
Records of Removal: Ration Books from the Trail of Tears provides public access to original log books detailing the weekly food and supply rations issued to individual Cherokee and Muscogee families between 1836 and 1838, when they were held at Ross’s Landing and nearby internment camps. Their removal and march to the West was enforced and carried out by the United States military and government agencies. Records from this time are scarce and scattered; some of the best information we have about these events comes from documents kept by federal agents.
“To have a meaningful understanding of our present, you must understand our shared past,” says Jessica Sedgwick, Head Librarian of Local History & Genealogy. “I hope visitors to this exhibit come away with a deeper understanding of what indigenous families experienced during the forced removal, and what lessons can be learned by critically examining the impact of government policies and their lasting legacies.”
In conjunction with the exhibit, the Library is working with the National Trail of Tears Association to fully digitize and transcribe the ration books, so they can be viewed and searched freely online for the first time ever. The Trail of Tears Association is a national nonprofit with a mission to identify, protect, and preserve Trail of Tears National Historic Trail resources and to promote awareness of the Trail’s legacy, including the removal stories of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole. For many indigenous families out West, these ration books are valuable for genealogical research, offering families a way to track their roots back to ancestral lands.
Sedgwick explains, “These records document the ancestry of people who, because of the forced removal, are generally not local to Chattanooga and would not have the opportunity to see these records in-person. So it was important for us to go beyond the physical exhibit and provide online access to the ration books. We’re honored to partner with the National Trail of Tears Association on this effort – their research team has traveled to repositories across the country digitizing records related to removal, and they’ve now come to Chattanooga to scan the Library’s ration books for their database.”
While the work of transcribing the records is currently ongoing, digital images of the ration books can now be viewed at the Library’s Local History Digital Collections site at collections.chattlibrary.org. Anyone interested in learning more is encouraged to visit Records of Removal during the Downtown Library’s regular operating hours, Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. The exhibition offers informational panels so that anyone can take a self-guided tour of the collection.
Learn More about the Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears Association
The Trail of Tears Association is a national nonprofit with a mission to identify, protect, and preserve Trail of Tears National Historic Trail resources and to promote awareness of the Trail’s legacy, including the removal stories of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole, consistent with the National Park Service’s trail plan. Visit their website to learn more about the history of the Trail of Tears and the Association’s mission today.
National Park Service’s Historical Trail
The National Park Service administers the trail in partnership with the Trail of Tears Association; the Cherokee Nation; the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; federal, state, county, and local agencies; interested groups; and private landowners. Visit their site for information about the Trail of Tears, as well as interactive, historic, and trip planning maps.
Educational Resources from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) from the National Museum of the American Indian provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. Most Americans have only been exposed to part of the story, as told from a single perspective through the lenses of popular media and textbooks. NK360° provides educational materials, virtual student programs, and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples and offers a view that includes not only the past but also the vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today.
Visit their website to explore all of their free lessons and resources, including materials in English and Spanish. Highlights include:
Online Lesson for Grades 7-12: American Indian Removal: What Does It Mean to Remove a People?
Online Lesson for Grades 6-12: The Trail of Tears: A Story of Cherokee Removal
Online Lesson for Grades 7-12: The Removal of the Muscogee Nation
