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Cherokee Indian Tribe Photos
Cherokee
When first discovered, the Cherokee were occupying the mountainous country
about the headwaters of the Tennessee River and portions of Georgia and South
Carolina, up to 1830. They form a family by themselves, supposed, however, to be
somewhat remotely connected with the Great Iroquois family. They call themselves
in their language Tsaraghee. According to their traditions, they came to this
country before the Greeks, dispossessing a people of whom there is now no
record. Before and during the Revolution they were friendly to and aided the
English. A treaty of peace was made with them, by which they acknowledged the
sovereignty of the United States November 28, 1785, and were confirmed in the
possession of their lands, occupying a Considerable portion of Tennessee and
parts of North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Commenced migrating
to the trans-Mississippi country as early as 1790, consequent upon the
encroachments of civilization, and in 1818 3,000 more emigrated. As frequent
cessions of their lands had reduced their territory to less than 8,000 square
miles in extent, and also in consequence of the hostility of the Georgians,
they were all removed in 1838 to their present reservation in the Indian
Territory, excepting about 1,000, who remained in North Carolina. . At the
opening. of the civil war they had progressed to a high degree of prosperity,
but suffered great injury from both parties ravaging their country, and also in
the emancipation of their slaves. Nearly all the Cherokees at first joined the
Confederacy, but after the fight at Pea Ridge, seeing the result doubtful,
9,000, under Colonel Downing, with a majority of the nation, abandoned the
southern cause and joined the Union forces; 6,500 adhered to the Confederacy to
the end. At the time of their removal west the Cherokees numbered about 27,000.
In 1867 they were reduced to 13,566, but since then have increased, so that they
now number about 18,000. There are about 1,700 yet in North Carolina, in a
prosperous condition, owning about 70,000 acres of land.
The reservation in the Indian Territory comprises about 5,000,000 acres, only
one-third of it capable of cultivation, and of which they are now working some
90,000 acres. Their crops for 1875 aggregated 630,000 bushels corn, 70,000
bushels wheat, 35,000 bushels oats, 50,000 tons hay, 500,000 feet of lumber, &c.
They have 63 schools, attended by nearly 2,000 children, that are supported by a
fund of $1,580,000, held by the United States. Under their present constitution
they are governed by a national committee and council elected for two years. The
executive, or chief, is elected for four years.
The following portraits show the effects of the civilizing influences they have
been living under, and also the extensive admixture of white blood among them by
intermarriage:
List of illustrations.
66. Colonel Downing.
67. Richards.
68. Colonel Adair.
69. Samuel Smith.
70. Borum Davis.
71. Captain Scraper.
72. Bingo.
Photographs of North American Indians
Descriptive Catalogue, Photographs Of North American Indians. United States Geological Survey
of the Territories, 1877 by W. H. Jackson, Photographer of the Survey,
F. V. Hayden, U. S. Geologist.
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Photographs of North American Indians
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