The Removal of the Five Tribes from what is now the Southeastern part of the United States to the area that would become the state of Oklahoma is a topic widely researched and studied. In this annotated bibliography, Herman A. Peterson has gathered together studies in history, ethnohistory, ethnography, anthropology, sociology, rhetoric, and archaeology that pertain to the Removal. The focus of this bibliography is on published, peer-reviewed, scholarly secondary source material and published primary source documents that are easily available.

The period under closest scrutiny extends from the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 to the end of the Third Seminole War in 1842. However, works directly relevant to the events leading up to the Removal, as well as those concerned with the direct aftermath of Removal in Indian Territory, are also included.

This bibliography is divided into six sections, one for each of the tribes, as well as a general section for works that encompass more than one tribe or address Indian Removal as a policy. Each section is further divided by topic, and within each section the works are listed chronologically, showing the development of the literature on that topic over time. The Trail of Tears: An Annotated Bibliography of Southeastern Indian Removal is a valuable resource for anyone researching this subject.