Davis Calls for Study into Expansion of Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Educating Through TourismJune 29, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis today joined with colleagues from Tennessee and several other states in introducing legislation that would initiate a study by the National Park Service to assess the feasibility of adding additional trail routes to the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Within one fiscal year of enactment, the Secretary of the Interior will submit to Congress a study regarding the status of the proposed routes.

"Expanding the trail will allow future generations to learn about our country's past," Davis said. "The plight of the Cherokee people is an important chapter in our nation's history and needs to be told. If we can recognize the failures of our past, we can improve the quality of our future."

The trail commemorates the tragic history of the 1838 removal of some 16,000 Cherokee Indians from their homelands in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia, and sent them to Indian Territory (today known as Oklahoma). Today the trail encompasses roughly 2,200 miles of water and land routes, and traverses portions of nine states.

Due to the historical significance ten counties in the 4th Congressional District will be impacted by this bill. They include Marion, Franklin, Lincoln, Lawrence, Giles, Maury, Sequatchie, Warren, Van Buren and White counties.

The National Park Service, in partnership with other federal agencies, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, and private landowners, administers the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The Trail of Tears Association, a major partner with the National Park Service, is a national organization dedicated to the preservation, public awareness, and appreciation of the Trail of Tears.