The Trail of Tears predominantly affected the Cherokee Nation as well as other Native American tribes, including the Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole. In the 1830s, the U.S. government implemented a policy of forced removal, relocating these tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to designated Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. This journey was marked by severe hardships including disease, starvation, and exposure to harsh weather, leading to the deaths of thousands of Native Americans. The Trail of Tears stands as a significant and tragic event in U.S. history, highlighting the injustices faced by indigenous peoples.