▁and ▁Cho ct aw ▁nations ▁from ▁the ▁area . ▁That ▁exp ulsion ▁is ▁called ▁the ▁Tra il ▁of ▁T ears , ▁considered ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁gen o cide ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁thousands ▁who ▁died ▁on ▁the ▁journey , ▁and ▁the ▁forced ▁removal ▁of ▁native ▁pe op les ▁from ▁their ▁home ▁territ ories . ▁( In ▁nearby ▁Fort ▁Pay ne , ▁which ▁lies ▁across ▁the ▁valley ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁next - door ▁Look out ▁Mountain , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁historical ▁sign ▁mark ing ▁the ▁town ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁starting ▁points ▁for ▁the ▁Tra il ▁of ▁T ears , ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁area ▁where ▁Se qu oy ah ▁lived , ▁who ▁developed ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁alphabet .) ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁sla very , ▁Cross ville , ▁Sand ▁Mountain ▁and ▁De K al b ▁County , ▁where ▁Cross ville ▁is ▁located , ▁were ▁not ▁major ▁slave ▁areas . ▁ ▁This ▁can ▁be ▁verified ▁by ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁census ▁roll s ▁which ▁reve al ▁a ▁mostly ▁poor ▁area , ▁where ▁people ▁worked ▁and ▁surv ived ▁by ▁the ▁labor ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁hands , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁forced ▁labor ▁of ▁capt ive ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁their ▁descend ants . ▁Le ading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁De K al b ▁County ▁was ▁typical ▁of ▁Southern ▁mountain ▁count ies ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁voted ▁against ▁se cess ion ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁This ▁can ▁be ▁cor ro bor ated ▁by ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁ro ster ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁on ▁this ▁issue