Jacksonian Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears — Ethnic Cleansing Analysis

HIST 101 • Document-Based Question • Student Worksheet

Overview

In this assignment, you will evaluate whether Jacksonian Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears meets the criteria for ethnic cleansing using primary and secondary sources. First, you'll learn about ethnic cleansing through the study website. Then you'll read the assigned sources and complete the fillable DBQ worksheet. Finally, export your worksheet as a PDF and submit it to Canvas.

Learn about Ethnic Cleansing

Visit the website: austin-academics.com/ethnic-cleansing/

Required

  1. Learn the Analytical Framework — Click "Learn the Framework" to study how historians define and analyze ethnic cleansing.
  2. Explore the Jacksonian Indian Removal Case Study — Navigate to "Explore Case Studies" and study the Jacksonian Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears materials.

Optional but Strongly Encouraged

Study the other case studies (Yugoslav Wars, Jewish displacement from Arab countries) to understand the horrors and frequency of this atrocity across time and place.

Materials

Required

Optional

Instructions

  1. When you feel confident in your understanding of Ethnic Cleansing and the Jacksonian Indian Removal proceed to 2
  2. Read the primary sources in the reader (linked above).
  3. Open the fillable DBQ worksheet. Type directly into the Name/Course/Date fields and the Evidence/Citation cells. For each characteristic, select Yes or No using the clickable buttons. Provide brief evidence (quotation, data, or description) and a citation (author/title + working URL).
  4. Complete the Short Conclusion (2–4 sentences) summarizing your classification and the strongest evidence.
  5. Export your completed page to PDF:
    • Click Print / Save to PDF (top-right of the worksheet page).
    • In the print dialog: Background graphics: ON; Headers/Footers: OFF.
    • Save your file using this name: Last_First_IndianRemoval.pdf
  6. Upload your PDF to the Canvas assignment.

Tech Tips

  • Use Chrome or Edge on Windows for best results. The worksheet prints exactly as you filled it.
  • If text seems to "disappear" in the PDF, click into a different cell before printing to ensure the browser commits your last edit.
  • If the Yes/No buttons look unselected in the PDF, re-check Background graphics: ON and re-export.

Submission Checklist

  • PDF exported from the HTML worksheet (not a screenshot).
  • Filename format: Last_First_IndianRemoval.pdf
  • Upload the PDF to this Canvas assignment before the due date.