Why was the trail of tears illegal?

Answer 1

The Trail of Tears was considered illegal because it violated treaties between the U.S. government and Native American tribes, particularly the Treaty of New Echota, which was signed without the consent of the majority of the Cherokee Nation. Additionally, the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands was a clear infringement on their rights and sovereignty. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) that states could not impose their laws on Native American lands, but this decision was largely ignored by the government, leading to the forced relocation.