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Native American History: U.S. Army Rounds Up Cherokees, 1838 & June 22, 1839: a bloody day in Cherokee Nation

Editor's Note: While I cannot definitively state our Native American Heritage as Cherokee, I am certain we are from an Eastern Tribe that experienced injustice due to racial discrimination and persecution. Our ancestors hid their NA heritage; family stories were told to me by my father that we had ancestors on the Trail of Tears and that a set of twin boys were orphaned and adopted by a white family. I have no reason to doubt this as being true. So, while our tribe may be  a mystery, let's never forget this tragic history in order to honor those who suffered and to do all we can to resist such future evil. - AW

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Map of United States Indian Removal, 1830-1835. Oklahoma is depicted in light yellow-green. (Wikipedia)

U.S. Army Rounds Up Cherokees, 1838

Posted at NC - Natural and Cultural Resources:

On June 12, 1838, Gen. Winfield Scott ordered troops to begin rounding up Cherokee Indians for internment at Fort Butler near what is now Murphy, leading to their eventual forced relocation to Oklahoma.

The order was part of a larger effort led by Scott at the behest of President Martin Van Buren to remove the Cherokee from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina as authorized under the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Scott was personally involved in the action in southwestern North Carolina because the Army believed the area was the most likely to be a center of conflict.

After a week, the troops had arrested more than two-thirds of the local Cherokee population and, by early July, nearly 2,500 Cherokee were in custody. Those and approximately 12,500 others would ultimately make the journey westward on the Trail of Tears between October 1838 and March 1839.

About 300 or 400 Cherokees hid out in North Carolina, laying the foundation for the purchase of the Qualla Boundary property and the establishment of North Carolina’s Cherokee Reservation.

Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee were not formally granted freedom to live in North Carolina until 1866, and the Band was not recognized as a separate entity from the Cherokee living in Oklahoma until 1868.

Other related resources:

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BY TESINA JACKSON
Former Reporter,
WILL CHAVEZ
Assistant Editor – @cp_wchavez &
JAMI MURPHY
Former Reporter
06/22/2017 12:00 PM

This is an archive story that the Cherokee Phoenix is publishing on the anniversary of the day that three prominent Cherokees were killed.

DUTCH MILLS, Ark. – On the morning of June 22, 1839, three small bands of Cherokees carried out “blood law” upon Major Ridge, John Ridge and Elias Boudinot – three prominent Cherokees who signed a treaty in 1835 calling for the tribe’s removal to Indian Territory.

Tribal Councilor Jack Baker said he believes “blood law” was the basis for the men’s assassinations.

“Although they did not follow all of the procedures, I do believe that was the basis for the executions,” Baker said. “I believe the proper procedure should have been followed. They should have been brought to trial and that was not done.”

The Cherokee General Council put the law, which had existed for years, into writing on Oct. 24, 1829.

According to Thurman Wilkins’ “Cherokee Tragedy,” the law stated “if any citizen or citizens of this Nation should treat and dispose of any lands belonging to this Nation without special permission from the National authorities, he or they shall suffer death; Therefore…any person or persons who shall, contrary to the will and consent of the legislative council of this Nation…enter into a treaty with any commissioner or commissioners of the United States, or any officers instructed for that purpose, and agree to sell or dispose of any part or portion of the National lands defined in this Constitution of this Nation, he or they so offending, upon conviction before any of the circuit judges aforesaid are authorized to call a court for the trial of any such person or persons so transgressing. Be it Further Resolved; that any person or persons, who shall violate the provisions of this act, and shall refuse, by resistance, to appear at the place designated for trial, or abscond, are hereby declared to be outlaws; and any person or persons, citizens of this Nation, may kill him or them so offending, in any manner most convenient…and shall not be held accountable for the same.”

It is thought that John Ross Party members carried out this law in the killings of the Ridges and Boudinot.

Read more here.

See also these videos:

Trail of Tears (Documentary) (Approx. 28 minutes)




Trail of Tears The Cherokee People part 1 1838 (Approx. 58 minutes)



Part 2 (Approx. 57 minutes)



We Shall Remain - Trail of Tears (Approx. 1 hour, 10 minutes)




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