<P> Fearing open warfare between federal troops and the Georgia militia, Jackson decided not to enforce Cherokee claims against the state of Georgia . He was already embroiled in a constitutional crisis with South Carolina (i.e. the nullification crisis) and favored Cherokee relocation over civil war . With the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the U.S. Congress had given Jackson authority to negotiate removal treaties, exchanging Indian land in the East for land west of the Mississippi River . Jackson used the dispute with Georgia to put pressure on the Cherokees to sign a removal treaty . </P> <P> The final treaty, passed in Congress by a single vote, and signed by President Andrew Jackson, was imposed by his successor President Martin Van Buren. Van Buren allowed Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama an armed force of 7,000 militiamen, army regulars, and volunteers under General Winfield Scott to relocate about 13,000 Cherokees to Cleveland, Tennessee . After the initial roundup, the U.S. military oversaw the emigration to Oklahoma . Former Cherokee lands were immediately opened to settlement . Most of the deaths during the journey were caused by disease, malnutrition, and exposure during an unusually cold winter . </P> <P> In the winter of 1838 the Cherokee began the 1,000 - mile (1,600 km) march with scant clothing and most on foot without shoes or moccasins . The march began in Red Clay, Tennessee, the location of the last Eastern capital of the Cherokee Nation . Because of the diseases, the Indians were not allowed to go into any towns or villages along the way; many times this meant traveling much farther to go around them . After crossing Tennessee and Kentucky, they arrived at the Ohio River across from Golconda in southern Illinois about the 3rd of December 1838 . Here the starving Indians were charged a dollar a head (equal to $22.49 today) to cross the river on "Berry's Ferry" which typically charged twelve cents, equal to $2.70 today . They were not allowed passage until the ferry had serviced all others wishing to cross and were forced to take shelter under "Mantle Rock," a shelter bluff on the Kentucky side, until "Berry had nothing better to do". Many died huddled together at Mantle Rock waiting to cross . Several Cherokee were murdered by locals . The Cherokee filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Government through the courthouse in Vienna, suing the government for $35 a head (equal to $787.17 today) to bury the murdered Cherokee . </P> <P> As they crossed southern Illinois, on December 26, Martin Davis, Commissary Agent for Moses Daniel's detachment, wrote: "There is the coldest weather in Illinois I ever experienced anywhere . The streams are all frozen over something like 8 or 12 inches (20 or 30 cm) thick . We are compelled to cut through the ice to get water for ourselves and animals . It snows here every two or three days at the fartherest . We are now camped in Mississippi (River) swamp 4 miles (6 km) from the river, and there is no possible chance of crossing the river for the numerous quantity of ice that comes floating down the river every day . We have only traveled 65 miles (105 km) on the last month, including the time spent at this place, which has been about three weeks . It is unknown when we shall cross the river ..." </P>

Where did the trail of tears start and end