Cherokee

Location
the cherokee used to live in what is now southeast America, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma and a part of Missisipi. These people used to live in the mountains throughout that arean until the arrival of the european colonization.

timeline:

1450(?) First Cherokee enter the state in the vicinity of travelers rest. Tugaloo Old Town (now covered by Lake Tugaloo) is the first major Cherokee village. 1715 Massive uprising against North and South Carolina. 1721 First treaty with whites (South Carolina). 1738 Smallpox eradicates 25% of the Cherokee Nation. 1753 Smallpox epidemic. 1791 Treaty of Holston-Cherokee cede land in eastern Tennessee in exchange for President Washington's guarantee that the Cherokee Nation will never again be invaded by settlers. This treaty forces Americans to obtain passports to enter Cherokee lands, and granted Cherokee the right to evict settlers. 1802 President Thomas Jefferson agrees with the state of Georgia to removal of all American Indians in exchange for the state's claim of western land. 1811 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">New Madrid earthquake. Actually 3 separate earthquakes with an epicenter near the town of New Madrid, Missouri in the southeastern border with Kentucky. The quakes were felt throughout the Cherokee Nation and sparked what is best described as a religious revival among the Cherokee. Writer James Mooney would call this movement the "Ghost Dance," after a similar Western Indian revival. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1812 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Shawnee warrior Tecumseh agitates American Indians on the frontier to rise up and destroy the settlers. A faction of the Creek Indians, the "Red Sticks," revolt, attacking Fort Mims, Alabama and massacre 250 men, women and children. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1813-1814 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Cherokee warriors fight alongside future president Andrew Jackson during two campaigns (5 major battles) against the Red Sticks, saving both his army and his life in separate battles. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1817 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Cession of land east of the Unicoi Turnpike. (Treaty of Turkey Town, instead of the 2.2 million acres demanded by Jackson. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1819 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Final cession of land in Georgia, and part of a much larger cession, the Cherokee give up claims to all land east of the Chattahoochee River. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1821 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Cherokee warrior finishes his work on a written language (syllabary) for the tribe. Within six months more than 25% of the Cherokee Nation learns how to read and write. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1822 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Georgia begins press for cession of remaining Cherokee lands, citing Jefferson's 1802 commitment to the state. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1828 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Gold discovered in Georgia. This discovery was on Cherokee land ceded to the U. S. in 1817 (Dukes Creek), however, gold was soon found inside the Cherokee Nation; Publication of the Cherokee Phoenix begins with Elias Boudinot, editor. <span class="big" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1838 <span class="medium" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">May 23 Deadline for voluntary removal. Georgia Guard had begun round-up 5 days earlier. U. S. forces under command of Winfield Scott begin roundup in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina. Cherokee are herded into "forts," gradually making their way north to the Cherokee Agency (Rattlesnake Springs) or Ross's Landing in southeastern Tennessee. This is generally recognized as the beginning of The Cherokee trail of tears.

Maps:

physical map of the cherokee territory, the terittory was very much lowland with a piece of the Appalachian Mts. They also had a lot of rivers that went through their territory:

Climate map:

**Government** The cherokee had a very simple but effective government. The leader of the government depended on the situation the Cherokee where in. When the cherokee were in a war situation the red chief was in charge with seven councilers (representing the seven villages of the Cherokee). When the village was in peace the white chief was in charge with the seven councilers

Economy
The cherokee had a very good trade since they lived close to the sea the mountains and plain land. They produced and took nearly anything that they nedeed: whool, fish, plants ( like coke) and milk. As a consequence of this they had a really good import and export.

Society
The society of the cherokee was really similar to the one we have today for one exception: marriages in the same tribe or village where not allowed. The woman though where the leaders of the house and the children whilst the men where dedicated to the hunting.

Belief Systems
The cherokee, even though this might sound wierd, did not believe in the multiple gods but in the supreme being. Of course they used to do dances for the weather but they believed in the supreme being and in a minor chain of "half-gods". A bit like the christian religion with the Apostols.

Customs
The cherokee did not have a lot of customs but foru times a year (every season). They perofrmed different dances according to the weather type to come

Also this story is strongly believed in by all Cherokee tribe still today:<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">One day some children where playing in the tall grass when suddenly a rattlesnake came, the children immediately shouted and the mother ran out. As soon as she saw the snake she killed it without hesitating, her husband was out in the woods hunting. The nextday when the husband came back, he found a group of rattlesnakes surrounding him, he asked them what was wrong and they told him that their chief had been killed by his wife and that now they wanted to kill her as a revenge for their chief. He agreed and the black rattlesnake followed him all the way home and waited outside the door, he was told that the only thing he had o tell his wife was that he wanted a jar of fresh water. So the man went in the house and said that, as soon as the wife stepped out he heard the scream and staid with her until she died. When she was finnaly dead the black rattlesnake tought him a prayer and told him that if a rattlesnake ever bit a human the man could just sing that song and the person would heal; the cherokee use this song still today.

Science and Technology
The cherokee did not invent anything particular, but they modified the famous axe of the sioux so that i could be thrown easily and i had more chances to hit the target.

Art and Architecture
Like all tribes the cherokee left behind some stupendous pieces of art, but there is one thing in particular about the cherokee. They did not live in upside down cone-shaped tents, but in actual houses made of wood (and brick when the europeans came). They also usually had tall walls around their villages

Bibliography:

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