Instructions. Read the primary sources at Trail of Tears — Primary Source Reader (and other credible sources as needed). For each characteristic below, select Yes or No based on the guiding questions, then provide brief evidence (quotation, data, or description) and a citation (author/title + working URL). When finished, click Print / Save to PDF and upload your PDF to Canvas. Suggested filename: Last_First_TrailOfTears_EC.pdf
Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of an ethnic, racial, or religious group from a geographic area through violence, intimidation, forced deportation, or other coercive means, with the intent to create an ethnically homogeneous region. It is distinct from genocide in that the primary goal is removal rather than complete physical destruction (though the two can overlap).
| Characteristics (with guiding questions) | Yes or No | Evidence (brief quotation, data, or description) | Citation (author/title + URL) |
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Targeted Group Identification
– Was a specific ethnic, racial, or religious group targeted?
– Was targeting based on group identity rather than individual actions?
– Were group members treated collectively as a single category?
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e.g., Author, “Title,” URL | |
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Intent and Goal
– Is there evidence of intent to remove the group from a territory?
– Do official or de facto policies aim to create ethnic or racial homogeneity?
– Were stated justifications (e.g., security, progress, civilization) used to legitimize removal?
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Methods of Removal
– Was forced deportation or relocation used?
– Were homes, villages, or cultural sites destroyed?
– Were basic needs (food, water, shelter, medical care) denied or withheld?
– Were conditions made unlivable to coerce departure?
– Was physical violence or the threat of violence used?
– Were families separated during the process?
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Systematic Nature
– Was the process organized or coordinated rather than random?
– Was there state or institutional involvement?
– Were policies or laws enacted to facilitate removal?
– Were the military or police used to enforce removal?
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Scale and Scope
– Were large numbers of people affected?
– Did the actions cover a significant geographic area?
– Was there a comprehensive attempt to remove the group from the region?
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Accompanying Atrocities
– Did mass killings or massacres occur?
– Was sexual violence used as a weapon?
– Was torture or cruel treatment used?
– Were cultural or religious sites destroyed?
– Were property and assets seized from the targeted group?
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Outcomes
– Did the population demographics change significantly?
– Was displacement permanent or long-term for most victims?
– Was land or property transferred to the dominant group?
– Did the actions produce lasting trauma and destruction of community structures?
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