Chief Ross
Was Chief Ross really a Cherokee Moses?
Thomas L. McKenney, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, described Chief John Ross as the father of the Cherokee Nation, a Moses who "led...his people in their exodus from the land of their nativity to a new country, and from the savage state to that of civilization.". This was the sentiment of many of the Cherokee and the supporters of Chief Ross in Washington.
In order to see how accurate the comparison to Moses was, we have to start with understanding who Chief Ross was by examining what he did.
In 1790 AD, John Ross was born in Turkey Town, Alabama, to a one quarter Cherokee, three quarters Scottish, mother named Molly McDonald, and a Scottish father named Daniel Ross. So, John Ross was only one eighth Cherokee and seven eighth Scottish. Even his Cherokee name, "Guwisguwi" means "Mysterious Little White Bird". He would seem to be more properly called, "the little Scotsman".
The little Scotsman was formally educated by Gideon Blackburn, another Scotsman, who was a minister of the Presbyterian Church, which was founded in Scotland. Nonetheless, John Ross identified himself as a Cherokee.
After Ross finished his education at the military academy at South West Point in 1811 AD, he was appointed as the Indian agent to the Old Settler Cherokee in Arkansaw Territory.
However, Ross was called back to serve as adjutant of the Cherokee regiment to General Andrew Jackson in 1812 AD. He fought along side General Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
Ross then returned home to start a tobacco plantation worked by his twenty slaves. He then built a trading post and warehouse on the banks of the Tennessee River. Then he started a ferry service he called, "Ross's Landing". Later, the city that sprung up around his businesses was called Chattanooga.
In 1814 AD, the Principle Chief of the Cherokee, Pathkiller, made John Ross the clerk of the Cherokee nation to handle its business affairs.
Then in 1815 AD, the United States government set aside about a quarter of the modern state of Arkansas for Cherokee settlement. The federal government then offered incentives to the Cherokee to relocate there voluntarily in a treaty.
So, in 1816 AD, John Ross was sent to Washington D. C. as part of a Cherokee delegation to negotiate with the US government. Since, he was the only member fluent in English, he soon became the chief negotiator.
When the Cherokee Nation created a thirteen member national council in 1817 AD, John Ross was elected as a member of the National Council. (The Cherokee national council was made up almost entirely of wealthy, educated, English speaking men of minimal Cherokee ancestry like John Ross.)
That same year, many of the Cherokee in Tennessee and Old Settlers from Arkansaw Territory made a treaty with United States government to find a home land for the Cherokee in Arkansaw Territory and to relocate there with aid from the US government. This treaty offered two-hundred thousand dollars for the Cherokee Nation to relocate to Arkansaw Territory.
Many of the Cherokee from Tennessee took the offer and joined with the Old Settler Cherokee already in Arkansas Territory to form the Cherokee Nation (West) in 1818 AD.
Because of his skills in dealing with the United States government, John Ross was elected as the President of the National Committee that same year. His first act was to reject the ridiculous offer of two-hundred thousand dollars for the Cherokee Nation (East) to relocate to Arkansaw Territory.
In 1819 AD, John Ross was sent to lead a delegation to clarify the terms of the treaty that had been signed by the two splinter groups of Cherokee two years earlier. In particular, he sought to limit the amount of ceded land and preserve the rights of the Cherokee Nation (East) in the rest of the land.
In 1822 AD, Secretary of War John Calhoun requested that the Cherokee Nation (East) release their lands in Georgia as President Thomas Jefferson had promised the state of Georgia in 1802 AD. John Ross first polled the Cherokee people, and then responded that the Cherokee people unanimously rejected surrendering their land to the state of Georgia.
That same year, the Cherokee Supreme Court was founded.
In 1824 AD, Ross traveled to Washington to defend Cherokee claims to their land in Georgia.
Calhoun gave them an ultimatum: Either the Cherokee Nation (East) surrender their land in Georgia and move west or the Cherokee Nation disband and its members become citizens of the United States in the state of Georgia.
Ross responded by petitioning Congress to hear the grievances of the Cherokee Nation (East). His arguments of the subtle points about legal responsibilities caused Congress to side with the Cherokee Nation over the delegation sent by the state of Georgia.
In 1827 AD, Pathkiller, the last hereditary Principle Chief, died. Soon after, Ross was acting as the Principle Chief of the Cherokee.
Ross was then elected to the twenty-four member constitutional committee. He led in the creation of a government modeled after the United States government consisting of an elected Principle Chief as head of the executive branch, a legislative branch called the General Council of the Cherokee Nation, which was composed of two houses - a council of principle chiefs and the National Committee, and the Cherokee Supreme Court as the head of the judiciary branch.
In 1828 AD, Ross became the first elected Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation (East).
That same year, President John Quincy Adams signed a treaty with the Cherokee Nation (West) to move from Arkansaw Territory to Indian Territory.
In 1829 AD, the state of Georgia passed a set of laws designed to make life for the Cherokee Nation (East) so uncomfortable, that they would have no choice but to leave.
That same year, the Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation (West), John Jolly, sent a letter to the Cherokee Nation (East) begging them to come to Indian Territory, which he described as a land of milk and honey. Chief Ross forbid everyone in the Cherokee Nation (East) from moving to Indian Territory and joining the Cherokee Nation (West).
When the Indian Removal act was signed into law in 1830 AD by President Andrew Jackson, he sought to meet with the Cherokee Nation (East) to discuss a land swap, and how the Cherokee Nation (East) could most easily move to their new land in Indian Territory. Chief Ross refused to meet with him and negotiate.
However, one third of the Cherokee Nation in Georgia moved to Indian Territory reluctantly, since it looked certain that Georgia was going to take their land without payment, if they waited. They had no significant losses in their move. They also became part of the Cherokee Nation (West).
Chief Ross instead sought help to take his case before the United States Supreme Court. William Wirt, a former US General Attorney, took up the cause of the Cherokee Nation (East) on his behalf.
So, in 1831 AD, the US Supreme Court sided with the Cherokee Nation (East) in their claim that they were a self-governing nation in Cherokee Nation vs Georgia.
The next year, the US Supreme Court again sided with the Cherokee Nation (East) in their claim that the state of Georgia could not impose its laws on the Cherokee Nation in Worcester vs Georgia.
So in 1832 AD, Chief John Ross offered for the Cherokee land to be broken into allotments, with members of the Cherokee Nation (East) receiving the first allotments, the federal government receiving the rest of the land for five million dollars, and the members of Cherokee Nation becoming full citizens of the United States and the state of Georgia - with the same rights as all other citizens. Both the United States and Georgia rejected the offer.
After this, the Cherokee Nation (East) was divided about what to do.
Most were persuaded by Chief Ross, that the United States government would not forced them to move to Indian Territory, if they would hold their ground.
However, many of the most educated among the Cherokee Nation (East) argued that the removal was inevitable, and the Cherokee Nation (East) should negotiate the best deal that it could get.
In 1833 AD, Chief Ross refused to meet with President Jackson to discuss his offer of three million dollars for their land east of the Mississippi and their removal to land west of the Mississippi.
Soon afterwards, a group of highly educated members of the Cherokee Nation (East) formed the Treaty Party.
That same year, the Cherokee Nation (West) formed a constitution and government patterned after the one formed by the Cherokee Nation (East).
Chief Ross asked in 1834 AD for fair payment for all of the Cherokee land in Georgia, and the Cherokee would conduct their own removal to Indian Territory under his supervision. That was also rejected.
So, Chief Ross led the passage of a law that year, which stated that anyone who negotiated a deal for removal without consent of the General Council, was guilty of treason and could be put to death. He also cancelled elections for the General Council to ensure that the National Party remained in power.
In 1835 AD, Chief Ross made another offer for the Cherokee Nation to move voluntarily to Indian Territory for a sum of twenty million dollars, provided that the General Council approved the deal.
Again, the United States and Georgia rejected the offer, because they believed that Chief Ross was just stalling for time. (Which he was, because he hoped to get better terms from the next President of the US.)
Nevertheless, the Treaty Party negotiated a treaty for removal that year. The New Echota treaty gave the Cherokee Nation (East) three years to move to Indian Territory and five million dollars for their land in Georgia. The treaty was ratified by one vote in United States Senate.
Chief Ross was infuriated that he and the General Council, which he controlled, were bypassed in making this treaty. So, he started working to bring the rest of the Cherokee Nation (East) in line with his wishes by making more laws against individual members abiding by the treaty.
Chief Ross and the national council urged the Cherokee Nation (East) to refuse to leave Georgia. So, the Cherokee Nation (East) became determined to not be removed from the state of Georgia voluntarily on their own by the 1838 AD deadline.
However, many of the Cherokee Nation (East) began rethinking their position, realizing that removal was inevitable when Martin Van Buren, the Vice President of Andrew Jackson, was elected as President in 1836 AD.
So in 1837 AD, about two-thousand two hundred members of the Cherokee Nation (East) took the assistance offered by the United States government and voluntarily relocated to Indian Territory before the 1838 AD deadline. Less than thirty of them died on the journey.
They also became part of the Cherokee Nation (west) when they arrived in Indian Territory.
The remainder of the Cherokee Nation (East), about sixteen thousand members, refused to leave Georgia. However, their efforts were in vain.
In the spring of 1838 AD, the United States army rounded up about two thousand, eight hundred members of the Cherokee Nation (East), and forced them to march to Indian Territory. However, about one thousand two hundred escaped to the mountains, or were exempted from removal, because they owned private land outside of the Cherokee Nation (East). About six hundred died on the forced march.
Soon, General Winfield Scott had the remaining twelve thousand members of the Cherokee Nation (East) put into eleven internment camps. This allowed the Cherokee Nation (East) to both be controlled by his troops and protected from those European Americans who wanted to kill them.
The General Council realized that removal was inevitable. So, they asked Scott for the removal to wait until cooler weather was set in.
However, Chief Ross was still holding out until he could ensure that his position was secure, and he was in charge of the removal. Finally in September, Chief Ross finally conceded that removal was inevitable.
So, Chief Ross requested that the General Council be able to handle the removal, instead of the United States army, and the army pay the expenses.
Scott granted both requests, which outraged former President Andrew Jackson. Scott then rewarded the contract for carrying out the removal to Chief Ross - with the approval of the General Council.
Ross divided the Cherokee Nation (East) into twelve wagon trains. He put his brother Lewis in charge of obtaining the provisions needed for the journey.
The last wagon train left the last internment camp on November 6, 1838 AD, two months later than the General Council had requested. By that time, three hundred and fifty three members of the Cherokee Nation (East) had died in the interment camps.
However, Chief Ross, and the rest of the Cherokee Nation (East) government officials, along with their families, did not travel in these wagon trains.
Instead, Chief Ross bought a river boat, the Victoria, with some of the removal payment. These two hundred and nineteen members of the Cherokee Nation (East) used this river boat to travel to Indian Territory in comfort. They supervised the removal from the Victoria.
This forced the wagon trains of the Cherokee Nation (East) to take a much longer route following the Tennessee River to the Ohio River, then the Ohio River to the Mississippi River, then the Mississippi River to the Arkansas River, and finally the Arkansas River to the edge of Indian Territory. This route was twice as long as going directly overland to where the Arkansas River flowed into the Mississippi River and then following the Arkansas River to Indian Territory.
So, those in the wagon trains walked as much as two thousand two hundred miles in the winter, due to the late departure caused by Chief Ross and his insistence on this longer northern route.
Chief Ross and the last wagon train arrived on March 25, 1839 AD in Indian Territory. By that time there were about nine thousand six hundred Cherokees were left out of about eleven thousand eight hundred, who came in the wagon trains. This was a loss of about two thousand four hundred Cherokees.
However, the wife of Chief Ross was the only recorded death on the Victoria. In fact, there were fifteen more people at the end of the journey on the Victoria then at the beginning, mostly due to births.
So altogether, the Cherokee Nation (East) lost about three thousand, one hundred, and fifty members out of the sixteen thousand, who refused to go to Indian Territory on their own. They also lost about another one thousand, two hundred members, who escaped to the mountains, instead of going to Indian Nation. This makes about four thousand, three hundred and fifty members out of sixteen thousand counted in 1835 AD, that did not make it to Indian territory in 1839 AD, which is over a quarter of the Cherokee Nation (East).
This mismanaged reluctant removal supervised by Chief Ross is usually what the Cherokee mean when they say, "The Trail Of Tears".
(Half as many would have died, if they had left two months earlier. Probably less than a quarter as many would have died, if they had also taken the more direct route to Arkansas. They would have avoid traveling in winter altogether and arrived in Indian Territory in early November. However, that would have required Chief Ross, the rest of the Cherokee (East) government, and their families to have went by wagon train to the Mississippi River, instead of traveling by riverboat all the way to Fort Smith, Arkansas.)
More over, Chief Ross, who was billing the United States army on a per person basis, showed about one thousand six hundred more people than the officers in charge counted at both the departure point and arrival point. The sum of the records kept by the wagon train conductors agreed with the counts of the United States army.
President Van Buren refused to pay Chief Ross the extra half a million dollars for these fraudulent claims. However, the next president of the United States, Tyler, gave the money to Chief Ross.
Not long afterwards in 1839 AD, members of the National Party killed three of the signers of the New Echota Treaty. This attack on members of the Cherokee Nation (West), who included the Treaty Party, was repaid in 1842 AD. This created the Cherokee Civil War, pitting the Cherokee Nation (East) against the Cherokee Nation (West).
In 1846 AD, the Cherokee Nation (West) asked President Polk to create two Cherokee Nations in Indian Territory, so there could be peace, but Chief Ross managed to get the bill to fail passage in Congress.
When the Cherokee Civil War was over in 1849 AD, the Cherokee had lost another fourth of their tribe along with destroying almost every thing that the Cherokee Nation (West) had done to help the tribe thrive in Indian Territory.
(Many of those that the Cherokee people lost due to the Cherokee Civil War did not actually die, but found life under the rule of Chief Ross to be unbearable.
Most of the Cherokee Nation (West) members left Indian Territory to go Mexico or California in 1849 AD, rather than remaining under the rule of Chief Ross. Some moved to form the town of Mount Clover in Mexico.
Other Cherokee Nation (West) members were so dissatisfied with Chief Ross that they formed the Keetoowah Band of the Cherokee in 1859 AD.)
When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 AD, the Cherokee Nation as deeply divided.
Most of the mixed blood Cherokee advocated for joining with the Confederacy to protect their slave holdings. Most of the full blood Cherokee, including the Keetoowah Band, wanted to join the Union to end slavery.
Chief Ross gave very mixed signals, which only made matters worse.
First, he advocated neutrality, but he soon found this to be impossible.
Then he gave a speech that the Cherokee Nation should join the Confederacy when the US abandoned its forts in Indian Territory and Arkansas in 1862 AD.
After learning that the Confederacy was losing the war in 1863 AD, he advocated the Cherokee Nation join the Union. He then left to meet with President Lincoln to negotiate the Cherokee Nation joining the Union.
Many of the pro-Confederacy tribe members with slaves fled to Texas to escape the General Council - that was suddenly pro-Union.
Then the pro-Confederacy faction took control of the Cherokee Nation in 1864 AD, while Chief Ross was absent. Their leader, Stand Watie, burned down the house of Chief Ross, and killed his son-in-law, to avenge his fellow New Echota Treaty signers that had been killed twenty-five years earlier.
Most of the newly pro-Union General Council then had to flee to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for protection from the pro-Confederacy faction.
However, a period of lawlessness marked by revenge killings by both sides under the guise of war continued within the Cherokee Nation.
By the time the war ended in 1865 AD, the tribe had lost another fourth of its population.
After Chief Ross returned, he was summoned to appear in Fort Smith, Arkansas, by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Cooley.
Cooley informed Chief Ross that since most of the Cherokee Nation had sided with the Confederacy against the Union, that they had violated the terms of their former treaty to not take up arms against the United States. So, they would have to negotiate a new treaty.
Then Chief Ross died in 1866 AD while negotiating with President Andrew Johnson in Washington for a more favorable treaty. Before his death, he was able to persuade President Johnson to reject the punitive treaty that Cooley had advocated.
Now we can make a fair comparison between Chief Ross in his leading the Cherokee to Indian Territory with Moses leading the Hebrews to the Promised Land.
Moses was a full blood Hebrew (Exodus 2:1-2). Chief Ross was only one eighth Cherokee.
Moses was given a name by a member of the oppressors of the Hebrews (Exodus 2:9-10). Chief Ross was given a name by a member of the oppressors of the Cherokee.
Moses was adopted into the family of the oppressors of the Hebrews (Acts 7:21). Chief Ross was born into the family of the oppressors of the Cherokee.
Moses was educated in the ways of the oppressors of the Hebrews and did exploits among them (Acts 7:22). Chief Ross was educated in the ways of the oppressors of the Cherokee and did exploits among them.
Moses was rejected as ruler by his people when he tried to deliver them from oppression (Exodus 2:11-14). Chief Ross was accepted as ruler by his people when he tried to deliver them from oppression.
Moses gave up the riches of the oppressors of his people to join in their suffering (Hebrews 11:24-26). Chief Ross accepted the riches of the oppressors of his people to avoid joining in their suffering.
Moses had to flee to a foreign land away from his people (Exodus 2:15-22). Chief Ross was able to remain in his native land with his people.
Moses was commissioned to move his people away from their oppressors and to a land of milk and honey (Exodus 3:8-10). Chief Ross forbid his people from moving away from their oppressors and to a land of milk and honey.
Moses was commissioned to deliver people from slavery (Exodus 6:6-11). Chief Ross held people in slavery.
Moses met with the ruler of the oppressors of the Hebrews to negotiate a favorable treaty (Exodus 10:3-9). Chief Ross met with the ruler of the oppressors of the Cherokee to negotiate a favorable treaty.
The people of Moses were set free by their captors to go to their new land (Exodus 12:31-33). The people of Chief Ross were led captive by their oppressors to their new land.
The oppressors of the people of Moses paid them to leave their land (Exodus 12:35-36). The oppressors of the people of Chief Ross paid them to leave their land.
A mixed multitude of other people left the land of their oppressors with the Hebrews (Exodus 12:37-38). A mixed multitude of other people left the land of their oppressors with the Cherokee.
The army of the oppressors of the people of Moses was completely destroyed, after the Hebrews left the land of their oppressors (Exodus 14:13-27). The army of the oppressors of the people of Chief Ross continued without casualties, after the Cherokee left the land of their oppressors.
Moses endured the discomfort of the wilderness with his people as they journeyed to their new land (Exodus 15:22-27). Chief Ross enjoyed the comfort of a riverboat while his people journeyed to their new land.
Moses gave the Hebrews the laws and covenant created by the Father of Truth (Exodus 24:3-8). Chief Ross gave the Cherokee the laws and covenant created by the Cherokee constitutional committee.
Moses was the meekest man on Earth (Numbers 12:3). Chief Ross was not in any sense meek.
Moses was not able to enter with his people into their new land (Deuteronomy 34:1-5). Chief Ross entered with his people into their new land.
So, while there are some similarities between Chief Ross leading the Cherokees to Indian Territory with Moses leading the Hebrews to the Promised Land, there are also significant differences. It is safe to say that Chief Ross was not really a Cherokee Moses.
In fact, many among the Cherokee and the political leaders in Washington considered Ross to be a dictatorial, greedy, and an aristocratic leader who defrauded the Cherokee Nation.
After all, during the thirty years between when the Cherokee Nation refused to abide by the New Echota Treaty and the end of the American Civil War, the Cherokee Nation had lost more than five eighth of its population under the leadership of Chief Ross.
Also, due to the leadership of Chief Ross, the once united Cherokee Nation became a divided and scattered people.
The Cherokee Nation ended up split into three separate tribes inside the United States. The few remaining members of the Cherokee Nation (West) left in Indian Territory became the Keetoowah Band of the Cherokee. Those of the Cherokee Nation (East) that escaped relocation to Indian Territory, formed the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation (East) that was relocated to Indian Territory under Chief Ross, became known simply as the Cherokee Nation.
However, many members of the Cherokee Nation (West) were scattered to Mexico and California, and many members of the Cherokee Nation (East) were scattered to Texas and Kansas. Many of the Cherokee Nation (West) also remained in Arkansas. None of these scattered Cherokee people are recognized by either the United States government nor by the three federally recognized tribes as part of the Cherokee people.
Yet, it is not over for the Cherokee. After all, they are a tribe in North America like no other.
Not only is it not over for the Cherokee, but it is not over for the First Nations of North America. The hope of the Almodadi is found in the Prophet of Truth who really is like Moses.
Moses said that the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) would raise up a Prophet of Truth who is like him from the descendants of Israel (Deuteronomy 18:15). The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) is that Prophet of Truth who is like Moses (Acts 7:37).
Anyone who does not obey that Prophet of Truth who is like Moses, will have to answer to the Father of Truth (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). Everyone must obey this Prophet of Truth who is like Moses - or they will be destroyed (Acts 3:20-23). The Father of Truth has given everyone assurance of this by raising the Man of Truth from the dead (Acts 17:31).
So, come into the House of Truth by doing your best to obey that Prophet of Truth who is like Moses, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Come into the House of Truth!
Thomas L. McKenney, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, described Chief John Ross as the father of the Cherokee Nation, a Moses who "led...his people in their exodus from the land of their nativity to a new country, and from the savage state to that of civilization.". This was the sentiment of many of the Cherokee and the supporters of Chief Ross in Washington.
In order to see how accurate the comparison to Moses was, we have to start with understanding who Chief Ross was by examining what he did.
In 1790 AD, John Ross was born in Turkey Town, Alabama, to a one quarter Cherokee, three quarters Scottish, mother named Molly McDonald, and a Scottish father named Daniel Ross. So, John Ross was only one eighth Cherokee and seven eighth Scottish. Even his Cherokee name, "Guwisguwi" means "Mysterious Little White Bird". He would seem to be more properly called, "the little Scotsman".
The little Scotsman was formally educated by Gideon Blackburn, another Scotsman, who was a minister of the Presbyterian Church, which was founded in Scotland. Nonetheless, John Ross identified himself as a Cherokee.
After Ross finished his education at the military academy at South West Point in 1811 AD, he was appointed as the Indian agent to the Old Settler Cherokee in Arkansaw Territory.
However, Ross was called back to serve as adjutant of the Cherokee regiment to General Andrew Jackson in 1812 AD. He fought along side General Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
Ross then returned home to start a tobacco plantation worked by his twenty slaves. He then built a trading post and warehouse on the banks of the Tennessee River. Then he started a ferry service he called, "Ross's Landing". Later, the city that sprung up around his businesses was called Chattanooga.
In 1814 AD, the Principle Chief of the Cherokee, Pathkiller, made John Ross the clerk of the Cherokee nation to handle its business affairs.
Then in 1815 AD, the United States government set aside about a quarter of the modern state of Arkansas for Cherokee settlement. The federal government then offered incentives to the Cherokee to relocate there voluntarily in a treaty.
So, in 1816 AD, John Ross was sent to Washington D. C. as part of a Cherokee delegation to negotiate with the US government. Since, he was the only member fluent in English, he soon became the chief negotiator.
When the Cherokee Nation created a thirteen member national council in 1817 AD, John Ross was elected as a member of the National Council. (The Cherokee national council was made up almost entirely of wealthy, educated, English speaking men of minimal Cherokee ancestry like John Ross.)
That same year, many of the Cherokee in Tennessee and Old Settlers from Arkansaw Territory made a treaty with United States government to find a home land for the Cherokee in Arkansaw Territory and to relocate there with aid from the US government. This treaty offered two-hundred thousand dollars for the Cherokee Nation to relocate to Arkansaw Territory.
Many of the Cherokee from Tennessee took the offer and joined with the Old Settler Cherokee already in Arkansas Territory to form the Cherokee Nation (West) in 1818 AD.
Because of his skills in dealing with the United States government, John Ross was elected as the President of the National Committee that same year. His first act was to reject the ridiculous offer of two-hundred thousand dollars for the Cherokee Nation (East) to relocate to Arkansaw Territory.
In 1819 AD, John Ross was sent to lead a delegation to clarify the terms of the treaty that had been signed by the two splinter groups of Cherokee two years earlier. In particular, he sought to limit the amount of ceded land and preserve the rights of the Cherokee Nation (East) in the rest of the land.
In 1822 AD, Secretary of War John Calhoun requested that the Cherokee Nation (East) release their lands in Georgia as President Thomas Jefferson had promised the state of Georgia in 1802 AD. John Ross first polled the Cherokee people, and then responded that the Cherokee people unanimously rejected surrendering their land to the state of Georgia.
That same year, the Cherokee Supreme Court was founded.
In 1824 AD, Ross traveled to Washington to defend Cherokee claims to their land in Georgia.
Calhoun gave them an ultimatum: Either the Cherokee Nation (East) surrender their land in Georgia and move west or the Cherokee Nation disband and its members become citizens of the United States in the state of Georgia.
Ross responded by petitioning Congress to hear the grievances of the Cherokee Nation (East). His arguments of the subtle points about legal responsibilities caused Congress to side with the Cherokee Nation over the delegation sent by the state of Georgia.
In 1827 AD, Pathkiller, the last hereditary Principle Chief, died. Soon after, Ross was acting as the Principle Chief of the Cherokee.
Ross was then elected to the twenty-four member constitutional committee. He led in the creation of a government modeled after the United States government consisting of an elected Principle Chief as head of the executive branch, a legislative branch called the General Council of the Cherokee Nation, which was composed of two houses - a council of principle chiefs and the National Committee, and the Cherokee Supreme Court as the head of the judiciary branch.
In 1828 AD, Ross became the first elected Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation (East).
That same year, President John Quincy Adams signed a treaty with the Cherokee Nation (West) to move from Arkansaw Territory to Indian Territory.
In 1829 AD, the state of Georgia passed a set of laws designed to make life for the Cherokee Nation (East) so uncomfortable, that they would have no choice but to leave.
That same year, the Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation (West), John Jolly, sent a letter to the Cherokee Nation (East) begging them to come to Indian Territory, which he described as a land of milk and honey. Chief Ross forbid everyone in the Cherokee Nation (East) from moving to Indian Territory and joining the Cherokee Nation (West).
When the Indian Removal act was signed into law in 1830 AD by President Andrew Jackson, he sought to meet with the Cherokee Nation (East) to discuss a land swap, and how the Cherokee Nation (East) could most easily move to their new land in Indian Territory. Chief Ross refused to meet with him and negotiate.
However, one third of the Cherokee Nation in Georgia moved to Indian Territory reluctantly, since it looked certain that Georgia was going to take their land without payment, if they waited. They had no significant losses in their move. They also became part of the Cherokee Nation (West).
Chief Ross instead sought help to take his case before the United States Supreme Court. William Wirt, a former US General Attorney, took up the cause of the Cherokee Nation (East) on his behalf.
So, in 1831 AD, the US Supreme Court sided with the Cherokee Nation (East) in their claim that they were a self-governing nation in Cherokee Nation vs Georgia.
The next year, the US Supreme Court again sided with the Cherokee Nation (East) in their claim that the state of Georgia could not impose its laws on the Cherokee Nation in Worcester vs Georgia.
So in 1832 AD, Chief John Ross offered for the Cherokee land to be broken into allotments, with members of the Cherokee Nation (East) receiving the first allotments, the federal government receiving the rest of the land for five million dollars, and the members of Cherokee Nation becoming full citizens of the United States and the state of Georgia - with the same rights as all other citizens. Both the United States and Georgia rejected the offer.
After this, the Cherokee Nation (East) was divided about what to do.
Most were persuaded by Chief Ross, that the United States government would not forced them to move to Indian Territory, if they would hold their ground.
However, many of the most educated among the Cherokee Nation (East) argued that the removal was inevitable, and the Cherokee Nation (East) should negotiate the best deal that it could get.
In 1833 AD, Chief Ross refused to meet with President Jackson to discuss his offer of three million dollars for their land east of the Mississippi and their removal to land west of the Mississippi.
Soon afterwards, a group of highly educated members of the Cherokee Nation (East) formed the Treaty Party.
That same year, the Cherokee Nation (West) formed a constitution and government patterned after the one formed by the Cherokee Nation (East).
Chief Ross asked in 1834 AD for fair payment for all of the Cherokee land in Georgia, and the Cherokee would conduct their own removal to Indian Territory under his supervision. That was also rejected.
So, Chief Ross led the passage of a law that year, which stated that anyone who negotiated a deal for removal without consent of the General Council, was guilty of treason and could be put to death. He also cancelled elections for the General Council to ensure that the National Party remained in power.
In 1835 AD, Chief Ross made another offer for the Cherokee Nation to move voluntarily to Indian Territory for a sum of twenty million dollars, provided that the General Council approved the deal.
Again, the United States and Georgia rejected the offer, because they believed that Chief Ross was just stalling for time. (Which he was, because he hoped to get better terms from the next President of the US.)
Nevertheless, the Treaty Party negotiated a treaty for removal that year. The New Echota treaty gave the Cherokee Nation (East) three years to move to Indian Territory and five million dollars for their land in Georgia. The treaty was ratified by one vote in United States Senate.
Chief Ross was infuriated that he and the General Council, which he controlled, were bypassed in making this treaty. So, he started working to bring the rest of the Cherokee Nation (East) in line with his wishes by making more laws against individual members abiding by the treaty.
Chief Ross and the national council urged the Cherokee Nation (East) to refuse to leave Georgia. So, the Cherokee Nation (East) became determined to not be removed from the state of Georgia voluntarily on their own by the 1838 AD deadline.
However, many of the Cherokee Nation (East) began rethinking their position, realizing that removal was inevitable when Martin Van Buren, the Vice President of Andrew Jackson, was elected as President in 1836 AD.
So in 1837 AD, about two-thousand two hundred members of the Cherokee Nation (East) took the assistance offered by the United States government and voluntarily relocated to Indian Territory before the 1838 AD deadline. Less than thirty of them died on the journey.
They also became part of the Cherokee Nation (west) when they arrived in Indian Territory.
The remainder of the Cherokee Nation (East), about sixteen thousand members, refused to leave Georgia. However, their efforts were in vain.
In the spring of 1838 AD, the United States army rounded up about two thousand, eight hundred members of the Cherokee Nation (East), and forced them to march to Indian Territory. However, about one thousand two hundred escaped to the mountains, or were exempted from removal, because they owned private land outside of the Cherokee Nation (East). About six hundred died on the forced march.
Soon, General Winfield Scott had the remaining twelve thousand members of the Cherokee Nation (East) put into eleven internment camps. This allowed the Cherokee Nation (East) to both be controlled by his troops and protected from those European Americans who wanted to kill them.
The General Council realized that removal was inevitable. So, they asked Scott for the removal to wait until cooler weather was set in.
However, Chief Ross was still holding out until he could ensure that his position was secure, and he was in charge of the removal. Finally in September, Chief Ross finally conceded that removal was inevitable.
So, Chief Ross requested that the General Council be able to handle the removal, instead of the United States army, and the army pay the expenses.
Scott granted both requests, which outraged former President Andrew Jackson. Scott then rewarded the contract for carrying out the removal to Chief Ross - with the approval of the General Council.
Ross divided the Cherokee Nation (East) into twelve wagon trains. He put his brother Lewis in charge of obtaining the provisions needed for the journey.
The last wagon train left the last internment camp on November 6, 1838 AD, two months later than the General Council had requested. By that time, three hundred and fifty three members of the Cherokee Nation (East) had died in the interment camps.
However, Chief Ross, and the rest of the Cherokee Nation (East) government officials, along with their families, did not travel in these wagon trains.
Instead, Chief Ross bought a river boat, the Victoria, with some of the removal payment. These two hundred and nineteen members of the Cherokee Nation (East) used this river boat to travel to Indian Territory in comfort. They supervised the removal from the Victoria.
This forced the wagon trains of the Cherokee Nation (East) to take a much longer route following the Tennessee River to the Ohio River, then the Ohio River to the Mississippi River, then the Mississippi River to the Arkansas River, and finally the Arkansas River to the edge of Indian Territory. This route was twice as long as going directly overland to where the Arkansas River flowed into the Mississippi River and then following the Arkansas River to Indian Territory.
So, those in the wagon trains walked as much as two thousand two hundred miles in the winter, due to the late departure caused by Chief Ross and his insistence on this longer northern route.
Chief Ross and the last wagon train arrived on March 25, 1839 AD in Indian Territory. By that time there were about nine thousand six hundred Cherokees were left out of about eleven thousand eight hundred, who came in the wagon trains. This was a loss of about two thousand four hundred Cherokees.
However, the wife of Chief Ross was the only recorded death on the Victoria. In fact, there were fifteen more people at the end of the journey on the Victoria then at the beginning, mostly due to births.
So altogether, the Cherokee Nation (East) lost about three thousand, one hundred, and fifty members out of the sixteen thousand, who refused to go to Indian Territory on their own. They also lost about another one thousand, two hundred members, who escaped to the mountains, instead of going to Indian Nation. This makes about four thousand, three hundred and fifty members out of sixteen thousand counted in 1835 AD, that did not make it to Indian territory in 1839 AD, which is over a quarter of the Cherokee Nation (East).
This mismanaged reluctant removal supervised by Chief Ross is usually what the Cherokee mean when they say, "The Trail Of Tears".
(Half as many would have died, if they had left two months earlier. Probably less than a quarter as many would have died, if they had also taken the more direct route to Arkansas. They would have avoid traveling in winter altogether and arrived in Indian Territory in early November. However, that would have required Chief Ross, the rest of the Cherokee (East) government, and their families to have went by wagon train to the Mississippi River, instead of traveling by riverboat all the way to Fort Smith, Arkansas.)
More over, Chief Ross, who was billing the United States army on a per person basis, showed about one thousand six hundred more people than the officers in charge counted at both the departure point and arrival point. The sum of the records kept by the wagon train conductors agreed with the counts of the United States army.
President Van Buren refused to pay Chief Ross the extra half a million dollars for these fraudulent claims. However, the next president of the United States, Tyler, gave the money to Chief Ross.
Not long afterwards in 1839 AD, members of the National Party killed three of the signers of the New Echota Treaty. This attack on members of the Cherokee Nation (West), who included the Treaty Party, was repaid in 1842 AD. This created the Cherokee Civil War, pitting the Cherokee Nation (East) against the Cherokee Nation (West).
In 1846 AD, the Cherokee Nation (West) asked President Polk to create two Cherokee Nations in Indian Territory, so there could be peace, but Chief Ross managed to get the bill to fail passage in Congress.
When the Cherokee Civil War was over in 1849 AD, the Cherokee had lost another fourth of their tribe along with destroying almost every thing that the Cherokee Nation (West) had done to help the tribe thrive in Indian Territory.
(Many of those that the Cherokee people lost due to the Cherokee Civil War did not actually die, but found life under the rule of Chief Ross to be unbearable.
Most of the Cherokee Nation (West) members left Indian Territory to go Mexico or California in 1849 AD, rather than remaining under the rule of Chief Ross. Some moved to form the town of Mount Clover in Mexico.
Other Cherokee Nation (West) members were so dissatisfied with Chief Ross that they formed the Keetoowah Band of the Cherokee in 1859 AD.)
When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 AD, the Cherokee Nation as deeply divided.
Most of the mixed blood Cherokee advocated for joining with the Confederacy to protect their slave holdings. Most of the full blood Cherokee, including the Keetoowah Band, wanted to join the Union to end slavery.
Chief Ross gave very mixed signals, which only made matters worse.
First, he advocated neutrality, but he soon found this to be impossible.
Then he gave a speech that the Cherokee Nation should join the Confederacy when the US abandoned its forts in Indian Territory and Arkansas in 1862 AD.
After learning that the Confederacy was losing the war in 1863 AD, he advocated the Cherokee Nation join the Union. He then left to meet with President Lincoln to negotiate the Cherokee Nation joining the Union.
Many of the pro-Confederacy tribe members with slaves fled to Texas to escape the General Council - that was suddenly pro-Union.
Then the pro-Confederacy faction took control of the Cherokee Nation in 1864 AD, while Chief Ross was absent. Their leader, Stand Watie, burned down the house of Chief Ross, and killed his son-in-law, to avenge his fellow New Echota Treaty signers that had been killed twenty-five years earlier.
Most of the newly pro-Union General Council then had to flee to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for protection from the pro-Confederacy faction.
However, a period of lawlessness marked by revenge killings by both sides under the guise of war continued within the Cherokee Nation.
By the time the war ended in 1865 AD, the tribe had lost another fourth of its population.
After Chief Ross returned, he was summoned to appear in Fort Smith, Arkansas, by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Cooley.
Cooley informed Chief Ross that since most of the Cherokee Nation had sided with the Confederacy against the Union, that they had violated the terms of their former treaty to not take up arms against the United States. So, they would have to negotiate a new treaty.
Then Chief Ross died in 1866 AD while negotiating with President Andrew Johnson in Washington for a more favorable treaty. Before his death, he was able to persuade President Johnson to reject the punitive treaty that Cooley had advocated.
Now we can make a fair comparison between Chief Ross in his leading the Cherokee to Indian Territory with Moses leading the Hebrews to the Promised Land.
Moses was a full blood Hebrew (Exodus 2:1-2). Chief Ross was only one eighth Cherokee.
Moses was given a name by a member of the oppressors of the Hebrews (Exodus 2:9-10). Chief Ross was given a name by a member of the oppressors of the Cherokee.
Moses was adopted into the family of the oppressors of the Hebrews (Acts 7:21). Chief Ross was born into the family of the oppressors of the Cherokee.
Moses was educated in the ways of the oppressors of the Hebrews and did exploits among them (Acts 7:22). Chief Ross was educated in the ways of the oppressors of the Cherokee and did exploits among them.
Moses was rejected as ruler by his people when he tried to deliver them from oppression (Exodus 2:11-14). Chief Ross was accepted as ruler by his people when he tried to deliver them from oppression.
Moses gave up the riches of the oppressors of his people to join in their suffering (Hebrews 11:24-26). Chief Ross accepted the riches of the oppressors of his people to avoid joining in their suffering.
Moses had to flee to a foreign land away from his people (Exodus 2:15-22). Chief Ross was able to remain in his native land with his people.
Moses was commissioned to move his people away from their oppressors and to a land of milk and honey (Exodus 3:8-10). Chief Ross forbid his people from moving away from their oppressors and to a land of milk and honey.
Moses was commissioned to deliver people from slavery (Exodus 6:6-11). Chief Ross held people in slavery.
Moses met with the ruler of the oppressors of the Hebrews to negotiate a favorable treaty (Exodus 10:3-9). Chief Ross met with the ruler of the oppressors of the Cherokee to negotiate a favorable treaty.
The people of Moses were set free by their captors to go to their new land (Exodus 12:31-33). The people of Chief Ross were led captive by their oppressors to their new land.
The oppressors of the people of Moses paid them to leave their land (Exodus 12:35-36). The oppressors of the people of Chief Ross paid them to leave their land.
A mixed multitude of other people left the land of their oppressors with the Hebrews (Exodus 12:37-38). A mixed multitude of other people left the land of their oppressors with the Cherokee.
The army of the oppressors of the people of Moses was completely destroyed, after the Hebrews left the land of their oppressors (Exodus 14:13-27). The army of the oppressors of the people of Chief Ross continued without casualties, after the Cherokee left the land of their oppressors.
Moses endured the discomfort of the wilderness with his people as they journeyed to their new land (Exodus 15:22-27). Chief Ross enjoyed the comfort of a riverboat while his people journeyed to their new land.
Moses gave the Hebrews the laws and covenant created by the Father of Truth (Exodus 24:3-8). Chief Ross gave the Cherokee the laws and covenant created by the Cherokee constitutional committee.
Moses was the meekest man on Earth (Numbers 12:3). Chief Ross was not in any sense meek.
Moses was not able to enter with his people into their new land (Deuteronomy 34:1-5). Chief Ross entered with his people into their new land.
So, while there are some similarities between Chief Ross leading the Cherokees to Indian Territory with Moses leading the Hebrews to the Promised Land, there are also significant differences. It is safe to say that Chief Ross was not really a Cherokee Moses.
In fact, many among the Cherokee and the political leaders in Washington considered Ross to be a dictatorial, greedy, and an aristocratic leader who defrauded the Cherokee Nation.
After all, during the thirty years between when the Cherokee Nation refused to abide by the New Echota Treaty and the end of the American Civil War, the Cherokee Nation had lost more than five eighth of its population under the leadership of Chief Ross.
Also, due to the leadership of Chief Ross, the once united Cherokee Nation became a divided and scattered people.
The Cherokee Nation ended up split into three separate tribes inside the United States. The few remaining members of the Cherokee Nation (West) left in Indian Territory became the Keetoowah Band of the Cherokee. Those of the Cherokee Nation (East) that escaped relocation to Indian Territory, formed the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation (East) that was relocated to Indian Territory under Chief Ross, became known simply as the Cherokee Nation.
However, many members of the Cherokee Nation (West) were scattered to Mexico and California, and many members of the Cherokee Nation (East) were scattered to Texas and Kansas. Many of the Cherokee Nation (West) also remained in Arkansas. None of these scattered Cherokee people are recognized by either the United States government nor by the three federally recognized tribes as part of the Cherokee people.
Yet, it is not over for the Cherokee. After all, they are a tribe in North America like no other.
Not only is it not over for the Cherokee, but it is not over for the First Nations of North America. The hope of the Almodadi is found in the Prophet of Truth who really is like Moses.
Moses said that the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) would raise up a Prophet of Truth who is like him from the descendants of Israel (Deuteronomy 18:15). The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) is that Prophet of Truth who is like Moses (Acts 7:37).
Anyone who does not obey that Prophet of Truth who is like Moses, will have to answer to the Father of Truth (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). Everyone must obey this Prophet of Truth who is like Moses - or they will be destroyed (Acts 3:20-23). The Father of Truth has given everyone assurance of this by raising the Man of Truth from the dead (Acts 17:31).
So, come into the House of Truth by doing your best to obey that Prophet of Truth who is like Moses, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Come into the House of Truth!
Labels: Cherokee, History, Moses, Native Americans
posted by The House Of Truth @ November 07, 2019
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