John Ross became principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1827, following the establishment of a government modeled on that of the United States. He presided over the nation during the apex of its development in the Southeast, the tragic Trail of Tears, and the subsequent rebuilding of the nation in Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma.
Ross was born on October 3, 1790, in Turkey Town, on the Coosa River near present-day Center, Alabama. His family moved to the base of Lookout Mountain, an area that became Rossville, Georgia. At his father's store Ross learned the customs of traditional Cherokees, although at home his mixed-blood family practiced European traditions and spoke English.
After attending South West Point Academy in Tennessee, …show more content…
As Ross took the reins of the Cherokee government in 1827, white Georgians increased their lobbying efforts to remove the Cherokees from the Southeast. The discovery of gold on Cherokee land fueled their desire to possess the area, which was dotted with lucrative businesses and prosperous plantations like Ross's. The Indian Removal Bill passed by Congress in 1830 provided legal authority to begin the removal process. Ross's fight against the 1832 Georgia lottery, designed to give away Cherokee lands, was the first of many political …show more content…
Beginning in 1838, however, he was forced to lead the Cherokees through the tragic removal period, which culminated in the Trail of Tears. He remained principal chief until his death in 1866.] John Ross in the republican form of government, the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the political power of Cherokee supporters, especially the Whig Party, gave him confidence that Cherokee rights would be protected. When the fraudulent Treaty of New Echota was authorized by one vote in the U.S. Senate in 1836, Ross continued to believe that Americans would not oust the most "civilized" native people in the Southeast. He fought removal until 1838, when it was clear there was no alternative; he then successfully negotiated with the U.S. government to handle the business of the
Ross was born on October 3, 1790, in Turkey Town, on the Coosa River near present-day Center, Alabama. His family moved to the base of Lookout Mountain, an area that became Rossville, Georgia. At his father's store Ross learned the customs of traditional Cherokees, although at home his mixed-blood family practiced European traditions and spoke English.
After attending South West Point Academy in Tennessee, …show more content…
As Ross took the reins of the Cherokee government in 1827, white Georgians increased their lobbying efforts to remove the Cherokees from the Southeast. The discovery of gold on Cherokee land fueled their desire to possess the area, which was dotted with lucrative businesses and prosperous plantations like Ross's. The Indian Removal Bill passed by Congress in 1830 provided legal authority to begin the removal process. Ross's fight against the 1832 Georgia lottery, designed to give away Cherokee lands, was the first of many political …show more content…
Beginning in 1838, however, he was forced to lead the Cherokees through the tragic removal period, which culminated in the Trail of Tears. He remained principal chief until his death in 1866.] John Ross in the republican form of government, the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the political power of Cherokee supporters, especially the Whig Party, gave him confidence that Cherokee rights would be protected. When the fraudulent Treaty of New Echota was authorized by one vote in the U.S. Senate in 1836, Ross continued to believe that Americans would not oust the most "civilized" native people in the Southeast. He fought removal until 1838, when it was clear there was no alternative; he then successfully negotiated with the U.S. government to handle the business of the