In 1839, just before he died, Yonaguska persuaded the Cherokee to accept his adopted son as their chief. During the 1840s and 1850s, Thomas worked to gain recognition of the Cherokee as citizens of North Carolina. He used Cherokee money, as well as his own, to purchase land for them in his name. At the time, Cherokee were prohibited from owning land outside the Indian Territory. Thomas's purchases became the basis of much of what is now known as the Qualla Boundary, the land base of the EBCI. He named the various sections: Paint Town, Bird Town, Yellow Hill, Big Cove, and Wolf Town.