the Cherokee had no written language,
the White mans records are of utmost importance in Cherokee genealogy
(i.e. the citizenship rolls and censuses).
is culturally and historically important and
does provide some valuable help with records. Beginning in about
the Cherokee had no written language,
the White mans records are of utmost importance in Cherokee genealogy
(i.e. the citizenship rolls and censuses).
is culturally and historically important and
does provide some valuable help with records. Beginning in about 1822, many legal
documents were signed by Cherokee using the syllabary.
The advantage is a beginning of standardization of names
, and the basis for
accurate translation of the names into English.
Also, the beginning of the publication of the Cherokee Nation newspaper,
using the syllabary provides much 19th
Sequoyah, (aka Sequaya, Se Quo Yah, or
with his syllabary and a
silver Indian Peace Medal.
Generally, the U.S. governments
Cherokee records are available through the National Archives
) but perhaps not at all regional facilities. All
the Dawes Records are located at
the Southwest Regional Office
Fort Worth, Texas.
In later historic times, starting 1777, the Cherokee primarily inhabited
southwest North Carolina, southeast Tennessee, northern Georgia, and northern Alabama. In 1777, the Cherokee gave
up all their claims to South Carolina, and withdrew to west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
(See our Cherokee
Nation of Indians
page and map showing the greatest extent of the pre-1777 Cherokee
A few Cherokee started moving west, first to what is now Missouri,
where they did not stay long because of a series of earthquakes there (New Madrid Earthquake,
Missouri Territory). Most of these
moved to what is now Arkansas, or returned east.
By 1817, there were about 5,000 Cherokee in what is now Arkansas.
The states of Georgia and Tennessee wanted the remainder to leave. There was a treaty
ceding lands in Georgia and Tennessee in return for an equal amount of
land in Arkansas Territory, the first Indian Territory. This became
known as the Cherokee Cession of 1817. The land was located between
the Arkansas and White Rivers
The cession was extinguished by the U.S.
at the time of the New Echota Treaty
1835, which led directly to
removal, The Trail of Tears.
This is to say, until 1839, most
of the remaining Cherokee lived
east of the Mississippi. After 1839, most
probably lived west of the
A much smaller number remained in the Old Cherokee
Nation east of the Mississippi, hence the two modern bands of the Cherokee, Western and Eastern.
((Cherokee Nation East is a modern concept, not used by the Cherokee
people at the time. In early historic times (1755), the divisions were
Over Hill Towns, Valley Towns, Middle Towns, Keowee Towns, Out Towns, and Lower Towns, all
referencing the general location of the Cherokee towns.))
Nation after the Trail of Tears was divided into several different groups. Those who removed *prior*
to the Trail of Tears were known as *Old Settlers,* (some of who went into Texas -- to be known as the
Texas Cherokee), the Emigrant Cherokee, and the Treaty Party.
((*Texas Cherokee* is a modern convention, not used by the Cherokee.
Those who came to Texas were known as Diwalis band for the leader of that
group. Offically they were present from about 1819 (a small band) and 1840
(a larger group invited by Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin to aid in the
Texans revolt against Mexico -- the Cherokee were expected to buffer the
immigrant