When was the phrase the trail of tears coined?

Question

I have to write a paper on the trail of tears, from a newspaper in 1839, and i need to know if i can use the phrase or not.

Answer 1

1831 (according to Wikipedia) so yes, you can use it.

Answer 2

It wasnt exactly coined - it was a trail native americans were forced to follow as they lost their land and were made to live on reservations.  I hope you learn something.