"Indian Removal" refers to the 19th-century policy of the United States government aimed at relocating Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to designated territories west of the Mississippi River. This policy was largely implemented through treaties, often signed under duress, and was justified by the belief in Manifest Destiny, the idea that American settlers were destined to expand across the continent. One of the most notable events associated with Indian Removal is the Trail of Tears, which involved the forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation in 1838. Thousands of Native Americans suffered from harsh conditions during the journey, leading to significant loss of life. The policy had lasting impacts on Native American communities and their cultures.