The Trail of Tears refers to the forced removal of Native Americans from the lands on which they lived by the US Federal government in the 1830s - the Cherokee tribe in particular. President Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act. This act allowed the president to exchange lands west of the Mississippi River for lands in the East inhabited by Native Americans. These Indians were coerced and forced into leaving their home against their will. These events took place in the context of United States westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, the belief that it was the destiny of the United States to expand westward. Andrew Jackson viewed the Native Americans as uncivilized and incapable of self-governance. Additionally, he wanted American states to benefit materially from acquiring Native American lands. In 1838, the federal government sent thousands of troops to remove them at gunpoint. The Cherokee were forced into internment camps and then sent west with inadequate supplies and equipment. Thousands died during the journey from hunger, exposure, and disease.