<P> Indians who had the means initially provided for their own removal . Contingents that were led by conductors from the U.S. Army included those led by Edward Deas, who was claimed to be a sympathizer for the Cherokee plight . The largest death toll from the Cherokee forced relocation comes from the period after the May 23, 1838 deadline . This was at the point when the remaining Cherokee were rounded into camps and pressed into oversized detachments, often over 700 in size (larger than the populations of Little Rock or Memphis at that time). Communicable diseases spread quickly through these closely quartered groups, killing many . These contingents were among the last to move, but following the same routes the others had taken; the areas they were going through had been depleted of supplies due to the vast numbers that had gone before them . The marchers were subject to extortion and violence along the route . In addition, these final contingents were forced to set out during the hottest and coldest months of the year, killing many . Exposure to the elements, disease and starvation, harassment by local frontiersmen, and insufficient rations similarly killed up to one - third of the Choctaw and other nations on the march . </P> <P> There exists some debate among historians and the affected tribes as to whether the term "Trail of Tears" should be used to refer to the entire history of forced relocations from the United States east of the Mississippi into Indian Territory (as was the stated U.S. policy), or to the Five Tribes described above, to the route of the land march specifically, or to specific marches in which the remaining holdouts from each area were rounded up . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (January 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (January 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr>

What were the indian removal act and resulting trail of tears