Another strong theme in the book is that of Indian rights . During the early part of the 19th century , westward expansion was squeezing the Cherokee and other Indian tribes out of lands they occupied east of the Mississippi River , which culminated in the infamous Trail of Tears , as the forced relocation of the Cherokee in 1838 came to be called . In the novel , the characters all seem to have a sense of inevitability about the whole affair , and know the time to preserve what they have is limited . In fact , Flint himself acknowledges that the intent of the novel ( and its sequels ) was to create a viable , alternate historical scenario in which the Trail of Tears did not occur , and he could envision no such scenario except one in which the Cherokee leave the East willingly and decades ahead of the actual historical timeline while still in full possession of their wealth and power
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
1812: The Rivers of War