The Cherokees of the Smoky Mountains

by Horace Kephart, John Finger

When the American Revolution began, the Cherokees were quick to support the British as the only bulwark against the frontiersmen's encroachment. In retaliation, colonial militia units destroyed a number of Indian villages, but for more than a decade after the Revolution there were intermittent raids against the settlers. Not until the 1790s were the Cherokees completely pacified. By then the United States government was embarking upon a new program of "civilizing" the Indian by encouraging - and forcing - him to live more like whites. This included instruction in the white agricultural techniques, conversion to Christianity, learning to read and write, and forsaking tribal landholding patterns. Such changes would have obvious advantages, for the more "settled" the Indians became the more land would be available for white expansion. This dual objective became the dominant theme of American Indian policy. Of all the tribes that adapted to white ways, the Cherokees have long been viewed as the most successful. By 1827 the Cherokee Nation could boast of a constitution and legislative, executive, and judicial bodies. Regardless of whether the Cherokees were becoming more "civilized" white southerners were increasingly vociferous in demanding their removal to the West. The fate of the Cherokee Nation was sealed by a fraudulent treaty negotiated in December 1835. After it was ratified in May 1836, the Cherokee Nation had two years to move to a new homeland in present-day Oklahoma.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Native American

39 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2003

Reviews

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book on the Cherokee of the Smokey Mountains! I loved it! If anyone is interested in reading on the Cherokee, this is a little book, but it’s a great one.

[Jamie Bucey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The description of who the author was and how he came to know the Cherokee was fascinating. It was not lost on me how awful the settlers were to the local indigenous people.

[Chris Gleck]

This book is copyrighted 1936, and I purchased my copy, a version reformatted with introduction in 1983, on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains about 20 years ago. I was interested in learning about the first peoples to inhabit the area. The author was an outdoorsman who lived in the area from 1904 until his death in 1931 and is credited with being responsible for the establishment of Smoky Mountain National Park. It who remained after that incident. We visited the Cherokee village outside of the Park boundaries on our trip. I will save this to pass along to one of the "grands" if any of them become interested in First American history.

[Michael Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a concise, somewhat dated story of the Eastern Band of the Cherokees. It was written by Horace Kephart, who is much better known for his book, "Our Southern Highlanders," which I really plan to reread one of these days. This booklet is a fair introduction to a much larger story. There are still some details, notably of the forced removal of many of the Cherokees and the Trail of Tears, which give a overlay of deep sorrow to this short history.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking account of the Cherokee being forced from their lands. Treaties are outlined, presidents Jackson and Van Buren have their faces rightly rubbed in the mud. The tragedy that happened to this people cannot be underestimated. Kephart’s account is one of the most thorough and the GSMA has preserved a piece of history by publishing this book.

[Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and to the point. Although it mentions some sources from which it draws its’ material, it would have been more thorough if the citations were included.

[Dylan McHenry · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative. Sad and shocking how the Cherokee were treated by the US government. Hard to fathom this level of mistreatment and brutality.

[C K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pamphlet but can’t get over the fact the author abandoned his wife and 6 kids to write it

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but interesting recounting of the history of the Cherokees and their lives in the uplands of the Appalachians. It includes the Trail of Tears, of course, but also an interesting reminder of the Cherokees that eluded removal and remained in the Appalachians.

[Sonya Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but informative. A brief glance into the lives and struggles of my ancestors.

[Wilani Wahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very helpful in my research of the Cherokee and in particular about Tsali.