20 Saying By Famous Leaders Reveal The History Behind Cherokee Nation

Before the existence of the US, they inhabited southeastern North America. The lands inhabited by the Cherokee were in what is known today as Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, and other states. There they lived in towns, farmed, hunted, traded, and developed their communities. They had leaders, laws, language, religion, and traditions. The Cherokee referred to themselves as the Principal People, or Ani-Yunwiya. The society was organized according to the kinship system as well as the seven traditional clans.

History Behind Cherokee Nation

The settlement of European colonists increased on Cherokee lands. There were trade relations with them as well as wars, diseases, and loss of lands. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the USA forced Cherokee to cede more of their territory. Yet, even in this hard time, Cherokee leaders tried to defend the interests of their people and their right to self-government. One of such prominent Cherokee leaders was Sequoyah, who invented the Cherokee syllabary, an alphabet that allows to write in Cherokee. The syllabary was finished at the beginning of the 1800s.

The development of the writing system enabled many Cherokee people to be able to write in their language. In 1828, the Cherokee Nation started to publish the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper in Cherokee and English languages. At the same time, the Cherokee Nation adopted their Constitution and a government consisting of elected representatives. Nevertheless, the USA and the State of Georgia kept demanding their lands. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed by the USA.

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A lot of Cherokees did not agree to be removed from their homeland; therefore, they fought against it by legal means. In 1838, soldiers in the United States forcefully removed 16,000 Cherokees from their homeland. They were moved to what is now known as Oklahoma but at that time was known as Indian Territory. It came to be known as the Trail of Tears. They had suffered a lot because of hardships caused by starvation, cold, illness, and lack of facilities. About 4,000 Cherokees died during this journey.

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Upon arriving at the Indian Territory, the Cherokees started building up again. They established a government and framed a constitution in 1839. The capital of the Cherokee Nation was Tahlequah. The Nation constructed houses, schools, businesses, government buildings, and even newspapers. All this demonstrates the vigor and resilience of the Cherokee people. Today, the Cherokee Nation is a modern tribal nation with its capital at Tahlequah, Oklahoma. For more such informational blog, you can visit the Comics Hut. Do not forget to share the blog with others.

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