Skip Navigation LinksHome > About The Nation > History > Facts


Our History
The twin spirits of survival and perseverance carried the Cherokee to Indian Territory along the Trail of Tears. Those same spirits lead us in today's complex and ever-changing world.


Old Settlers and Emigrants
The difference in the two groups as explained by Cherokee Principal Chief Thomas Buffington.


Sequoyah and the Cherokee Syllabary
A history of Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee Syllabary


The Cherokee and the Civil War
The Cherokee Nation, while itself not a state, was nevertheless involved in the War Between the States as a "foreign ally". While some Cherokee troops were aligned with the Union, many aligned themselves with the Confederacy.


The Texas Cherokee
The Texas Cherokee were a branch of the Cherokee Nation who had lived in our ancestral homeland in the Southeastern United States. In 1839, the Cherokee were forced on the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory.


Cherokee Strip Tax Arrearages
The Caldwell Journal, September 20, 1883


Inspiring Postscript
An inspiring postscript taken from a letter from John Rollin Ridge to his mother, in which he asked that it be passed on to Stand Watie.


Roadway Through the Strip.
The Cherokee Advocate copies an item published in the JOURNAL in reference to roadways through the Strip, and makes the following comments.


Cherokee Strip Livestock Association
Newspaper article regarding Board of Directors' Meeting


Cherokees and "Thanksgiving"
The Cherokees were raising corn as early as 1,000 BC. Before European contact the Cherokees were already participating in a thanksgiving ceremony; the most important ceremony of the year, called the "Green Corn Ceremony."


Cherokee Strip Livestock Association
An excerpt from the Caldwell Journal describing the circumstances surrounding the "Cherokee Strip Livestock Association Payment".


The Cherokee Rosebuds
Excerpts from "The Cherokee Rosebuds," the newspaper of the Cherokee National Female Seminary


High Sheriff’s Duties
Regular duties of the High Sheriff, 1875


Memories of the Civil War
Recollections as reported in the Indian-Pioneer Papers.


The Origin of Gadugi
Gadugi....working together, is a prime focus of the Cherokee Nation. Read about it's origin here.


Treaty of Holston, 1791



Treaty of Hopewell, 1785



Treaty with the Cherokee, 1806



Treaty with the Cherokee, 1816



History You Can Hear
Sit back and listen to Janelle Adair and Richard Birdtail talk about Cherokee history, set to relaxing music.


Trade Prices
The South Carolina Board of Trade issued this schedule in 1716 for traders dealing with the Cherokee.


Treaty of Philadelphia
February 17, 1792


Treaty of Philadelphia
June 26, 1794


Treaty of the Cherokee {1798, Oct. 2}



Treaty of Tellico
October 24, 1804


Treaty of Tellico
October 25, 1805


Treaty of Tellico
Octo9ber 27, 1805


Treaty of Washington I
February 27, 1819


Treaty of Washington II
May 6, 1828


Treaty of Washington III
March 14, 1835


Resolution of the Cherokee Nation
Rattlesnake Springs, Tennessee 1838


1828 Cherokee Census Information



Council Meetings from 1829
As published in the Cherokee Phoenix, 1829.


Cherokee / Creek Boundary Line
As published in the Cherokee Phoenix, 1828


Census Information
Census information of the Old Eastern Districts, as reported in the Cherokee Phoenix, 1828

 © Copyright 2011 Cherokee Nation. All Rights Reserved.Contact |  Site Map |  Privacy |  Home Spacer