The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears

By: Theda Perdue, Michael Green

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Acclaimed historians Theda Perdue and Michael D. Green paint a moving portrait of the infamous Trail of Tears. Despite protests from statesmen like Davy Crockett, Daniel Webster, and Henry Clay, a dubious 1838 treaty drove 17,000 mostly Christian Cherokee from their lush Appalachian homeland to barren plains beyond the Mississippi. For 4,000, this brutal forced march lead only to their deaths.

©1993 Theda Purdue; 1993 Michael Green (P)2007 Recorded Books

Great audio book

Next to Robert V. Remini's, "Andrew Jackson And His Indian Wars," this book has got to be a classic.

Essentially great American leaders, from Thomas Jefferson to Andrew Jackson, pursued policies of land acquisition from Native Americans; whether by forcing tribes to relinquish land by threats, intimidation and bribery or by forcible removal, European immigrants overspread the continent, dispossessing the natives as we went, until we became a great and a mighty nation.

The book is not always easy listening due to the heart-rending historic narrative. This side of American history, though not new in terms of the history of great empires, is a must for anyone interested in this nation's expansionist history; its pursuit of foreign affairs today which continues to seek what is perceived to be in America's material, security and prosperity interests.

I highly recommend this book. I hope audible acquires other books in the genre.

Very one sided

I saw that this book was a historical book. Yet, it is too simple. It’s a bit sad there is such a large degree of hatred for white people that it makes it hard to listen through. More often than not it’s a lot of an opinions put next to facts rather than just putting the facts out there and giving the people the choice to make up their own minds.

A better book on Native American history I’d recommend is Iroquois Diplomacy. It shows how there were good people on both sides, bad people and how key people who passed away could have changed history for the better for Native Americans. In addition, it is more researched on Native American culture and how complicated the politics between settlers were.

read other reviews before deciding on mine

I did not care for the views of the authors views on this subject and how it was written. I felt its a poor story and way to much useless detail. my family was in this and our stories tell a different story and not from the lie of the US government.. you decide. please listen to it before writing a review.

great audio book

loved it! it was a great listen. I learned a lot about my people and their struggles

A thorough account of heart-break and exploitation

This is a really good listen that, if you're a decent human being, will elicit sympathy for the American Indians in relation to the abuse and exploitation they suffered at the hands of the U.S. gov't. It is a fact-based history that demonstrates how greed and the desire for power drives some people to have total disregard for fellow human beings. Listening to this story will enhance your understanding of how American Indians were driven to near extinction.

Educational and engaging

Assigned reading for a college course, but I completely enjoyed this book. The narrator is a bit slow for my taste, but the story is so compelling I listened in only two sessions. The history is quite tragic, and this book prompted me to ask more questions of the history, which will lead to more research.

These are my people.

This book was a great refresher for me of the history of the Cherokee Nation.