The Trail of Tears refers to the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties with Native American tribes to exchange their lands in the East for lands in the West. Approximately 60,000 Native Americans were forced to relocate along a series of routes known as the Trail of Tears, resulting in the deaths of thousands due to disease, starvation, and harsh conditions. The Trail of Tears is considered one of the darkest chapters in American history and a tragic example of the forced displacement and mistreatment of Native American populations.