Trail of Tears Scenic Overlook, Fort Smith National Historic Site
Posted by: 
sagefemme
N 35° 23.265 W 094° 25.998
15S E 369824 N 3916987
This scenic overlook adjacent to the original Fort Smith on Fort Smith National Historic Site looks into the original treaty established Indian Territory. Andrew Jackson, while President, launched his attack on the Indian nations from Ft Smith
Waymark Code: WMQ1YD
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 12/02/2015
Views: 6
"The Indian Territory served as the destination for the policy of Indian Removal, a policy pursued intermittently by American presidents early in the nineteenth century, but aggressively pursued by President Andrew Jackson after the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Five Civilized Tribes in the South were the most prominent tribes displaced by the policy, a relocation that came to be known as the Trail of Tears during the Choctaw removals starting in 1831. The trail ended in what is now Arkansas and Oklahoma, where there were already many Indians living in the territory, as well as whites and escaped slaves. Other tribes, such as the Delaware, Cheyenne, and Apache were also forced to relocate to the Indian territory." (source: Wikipedia)
In many ways, this spot in Fort Smith, Arkansas was "ground zero" of the Indian Removal policy.
The original Fort Smith, built just uphill from this scenic overlook in 1817 (prior to the official Indian Removal policy described above), was tasked with keeping the peace in western Arkansas from lawlessness of the area and particularly between the Cherokee and Osage tribes. Tensions between the two tribes were growing as they were being pushed westward. Seven short years later, the fort was abandoned and operations moved 80 miles west to Fort Gibson.
President Andrew Jackson disregarded court decisions and negotiated treaties with his Indian Removal policy of 1830 and forcibly removed Cherockee from their land. His friend (and future president) General Zachary Taylor was assigned to accomplish the same with the Seminole tribes in 1837.
In 1838, after Arkansas entered the Union as a state, Congress authorized a second Fort Smith for protection along the border with the Indian Territory, or present day Oklahoma.
General Zachery Taylor played a further role in advancing the Indian Removal policy when he was stationed at Fort Smith and Fort Gibson in 1841-45.
Routes: Water Route
Additional Coordinates: Not Listed
Address if available: Not listed
Additional Information: Not listed
Marker Website: Not listed
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