The Trail of Tears began after the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson. The Cherokee Trail of Tears started in the area around the Appalachian Mountains, which includes the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The last group of Cherokees to travel the Trail of Tears arrived in Oklahoma Indian Territory on March 24, 1839.
Cordelia's family were renegades and hid out during the Trail of Tears. Despite continued pressure on Indian heritage, in the 1880 US Census they are documented as Indian. Her death certificate lists her as white.