The Trail of Tears was a journey that took place from 1830 to 1840. It was a forced relocation of American Indians from their homes in the southeast to Indian Territory in the Midwest. The journey took place from 1830 to 1840. In this journey, thousands of American Indians were forced to walk hundreds of miles through harsh terrain and hostile territory to leave their homes and travel westward to Indian Territory. It was one of the most terrible experiences that many American Indians ever had to endure. The entire journey took about 5 years to complete. Many American Indians died along the way due to exhaustion, sickness, hunger, or attacks by animals or hostile Native Americans.