The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of American Indians because of land issues. About 15,000 Cherokee Indians were removed. They all were held in concentration camps through the summer, and then forced to to relocate. Along the journey, nearly 4000 Cherokees died of starvation, exposure, or disease. The result of the U.S. Government's American Indian 'removal policy' devastated American Indian cultures. The Native Americans had been strong and fought through it, catching diseases and dying all because of problems with land.