Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Tribe is one of what is often called the "Five Civilized Tribes" and resided in northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and southern Tennessee. A large portion of the tribe was removed to Indian Territory in the 1830s. Some remained in North Carolina.

Culture Area: Southern Appalachian Mountains

Linguistic Group: Iroquoian

Federal Status: recognized

Brief Timeline
1689-1763: French and Indian War, the Cherokee supported the English

1738-1750: Smallpox epidemics

1775-83: During Revolutionary War supported the British

1800: "Moravians," Protestant missionaries of German origin, established the first mission at Spring Place.

1801-1823: Return J. Meigs, an Indian agent, lived among the Cherokee.

1819-1821: Sequoyah (George Gist) created the Cherokee alphabet.

1827: Tribal leaders recorded their constitution

1828: Cherokee Phoenix, a bilingual newspaper, contained columns in both English and Cherokee. Editor -- Elias Boudinot

December 1835: Treaty of New Echota

1838: First Group; Start of Trail of Tears, 800-mile journey; 1838-39 - Second group; 4,000 Cherokees died

Brief History
Eastern Band of Cherokee

Removal

Additional References to the History of the Tribe and/or Bands
Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Cherokee tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Tribal Headquarters
Cherokee Nation Tribal www.cherokee.org/Government/Default.aspx Government P.O. Box 948 Tahlequah, OK 74465 Phone: 918.453.5000

Agency Records
Correspondence and Census

Census Rolls (M595) 1898-1914 FHL Film 573868; 1915-1922 FHL Film 573869; 1923-1929 FHL Film 573870; 1930-1932 FHL Film: 573871, 1933-1939 FHL Film: 573872

Enrollment Records


 * Dawes Commision Enrollement for Five Civilized Tribes
 * Eastern Cherokee - Guion Miller

Treaties


 * November 28, 1785,at Hopewell
 * November 28, 1785, referred to
 * July 2, 1791, on Holston River
 * June 26, 1794, at philadelphia
 * October 2, 1798, at Tellico
 * October 24, 1804, at Tellico
 * October 25, 1805, at Tellico
 * October 27, 1805, at Telleco
 * January 7, 1806, at Washington
 * September 11, 1807,
 * August 9, 1814, referred to
 * March 22, 1816, at Washington
 * September 14, 1816, at Chickasaw Council House
 * July 8, 1817, At Cherokee Agency
 * February 27, 1819, at Washington
 * May 6, 1828, at Washington
 * February 14, 1833, at Fort Gibson
 * March 14, 1835, unratified
 * August 24, 1835, at Camp Holmes
 * December 29, 1835, at New Echota
 * March 1, 1836, supplementary
 * August 6, 1846, at Washington
 * September 13, 1865, at Fort Smith-unratified
 * July 19, 1866, at Washington
 * April 27, 1868,

Western Band Treaties


 * May 6, 1828, at Washington
 * February 14, 1833,

Vital Records


 * Cherokee (M 595) births and deaths 1924-1932 FHL Film: 573871; 1926-1939 FHL Film: 573872

Important Web Sites

 * Constitution of the Cherokee Nation
 * Official Web Site of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
 * Cherokee Tribe Wikipedia
 * All Things Cherokee website -- a largely commercial website with a free message board and some free information about Cherokee research and records.