Social Studies homework qestion?

Question

How long was the Trail Of Tears

Answer 1

This information comes from http://www.rosecity.net/tears/trail/tearsnht.html
(all the information below is excerpted and edited from the cited website)
Your answer is in the middle paragraph, but this is just an approximation since there was no "direct route" and survival depended on foraging along the way, which took groups of the people many miles out of their way during the trek.

"Most Cherokees, including Chief John Ross, did not believe that they would be forced to move. In May 1838, Federal troops and state militias began the roundup of the Cherokees into stockades. In spite of warnings to troops to treat the Cherokees kindly, the roundup proved harrowing.

"By November, 12 groups of 1,000 each were trudging 800 miles overland to the west. The last party, including Chief Ross, went by water. Now, heavy autumn rains and hundreds of wagons on the muddy route made roads impassable; little grazing and game could be found to supplement meager rations.

"By March 1839, all survivors had arrived in the west. No one knows how many died throughout the ordeal, but the trip was especially hard on infants, children, and the elderly. Missionary doctor Elizur Butler, who accompanied the Cherokees, estimated that over 4,000 died--nearly a fifth of the Cherokee population. "