On this day in 1825, the U.S. Congress approved the Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma), which opened the door for the forced removal of Southeastern Native American tribes along the “Trail of Tears.” The Trial of Tears is not one route but rather several routes traveled in the 1830s, all of which passed through Arkansas. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, “one Cherokee Nation detachment of about 1,200, led by John Benge, is known to have followed a separate route across north-central Arkansas, entering at the Current River in Randolph County, repairing wagons at Batesville (Independence County), and passing through Fayetteville.” For more information, visit this entry at https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/trail-of-tears-2294/.
