74-642: The Henegar House , also known as Ivy Hall , is a historic house in Charleston, Tennessee . Constructed in 1849, it is the oldest remaining brick structure in Bradley County . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1976. The Henegar House was constructed on the former site of the military headquarters of Gen. Winfield Scott at Fort Cass by Henry Benton Henegar, who served as wagonmaster and secretary under Chief John Ross during
148-647: A US Indian agent in 1811. During the War of 1812, he served as adjutant of a Cherokee regiment under the command of Andrew Jackson . After the end of the Red Stick War , Ross started a tobacco plantation in Tennessee . In 1816, he built a warehouse and trading post on the Tennessee River north of the mouth of Chattanooga Creek , and started a ferry service that carried passengers across the river. Concurrently, Ross developed
222-688: A constitutional republic with delegated authority capable of formulating a clear, long-range policy to protect national rights. Ross found support in Congress from individuals in the National Republican Party , such as senators Henry Clay (Kentucky), Theodore Frelinghuysen , and Daniel Webster (Massachusetts), and representatives Ambrose Spencer and David (Davy) Crockett . Despite this support, in April 1829, John H. Eaton , Secretary of War (1829–1831), informed Ross that President Jackson would support
296-771: A ferry across the Hiwassee River between present-day Charleston and Calhoun . As a result, the community was initially known as "Walker's Ferry." The Hiwassee Purchase of 1819 resulted in the cession of Cherokee lands between the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee rivers to the Federal Government, and as a result, the Hiwassee River became the boundary between the Cherokee Nation and the United States, where it remained until
370-509: A full-blood Cherokee, had married William Shorey, a Scottish interpreter. Their daughter, Anna, married John McDonald, a Scots trader. Ross spent his childhood with his parents near Lookout Mountain . Educated in English by white men in a frontier American environment, Ross spoke the Cherokee language poorly. His bi-cultural background and fluency in English enabled him to represent the Cherokee to
444-528: A household in the city was $ 33,750, and the median income for a family was $ 40,781. Males had a median income of $ 31,389 versus $ 18,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,586. About 5.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over. The city is across the Hiwassee River from a large paper mill operation of Resolute Forest Products in Calhoun , which
518-431: A keen interest in Cherokee politics and attracted the attention of the Cherokee elders, especially Principal Chiefs Pathkiller and Charles R. Hicks . Together with Major Ridge , they became his political mentors. Ross first went to Washington, DC, in 1816 as part of a Cherokee delegation to negotiate issues of national boundaries, land ownership, and white encroachment. As the only delegate fluent in English, Ross became
592-513: A meeting in Nashville that Jackson proposed. The other tribes signed off on Jackson's terms. When Ross and the Cherokee delegation failed in their efforts to protect Cherokee lands through dealings with the executive branch and Congress, Ross took the radical step of defending Cherokee rights through the U.S. courts. In June 1830, at the urging of Senators Webster and Frelinghuysen, the Cherokee delegation selected William Wirt , US Attorney General in
666-476: A permanent chief could be elected. Although believing he was the natural heir to his brother's position, William Hicks had not impressed the tribe with his abilities. A majority of the people knew that during the year Ross, not Hicks, had taken care of all of the regular business of the tribe. On October 17, 1828, the Cherokee elected John Ross as principal chief. Through the 1820s, the Cherokee Council passed
740-629: A regiment on behalf of the Confederate army. Second, surrounding states seceded. Third, surrounding Native nations signed treaties with the confederacy. And finally, federal troops abandoned the Indian Territory, leaving the Nation to defend itself in violation of treaty commitments. Rather than see the Cherokee Nation divided against itself again, Ross, with the consent of council, signed a treaty with
814-537: A series of laws creating a bicameral national government, adopting structure from the US government. In 1822 they created the Cherokee Supreme Court, capping the creation of a three-branch government. In May 1827, Ross was elected to the twenty-four member constitutional committee. It drafted a constitution calling for a principal chief, a council of the principal chiefs, and a National Committee, which together would form
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#1732855895883888-641: A trading firm and warehouse. In total, he earned upwards of $ 1,000 a year ($ 17,953 in today's terms). Under pressure from white settlers in Tennessee, many Cherokee migrated into northeast Georgia. In 1827 Ross moved to Rome, Georgia , to be closer to New Echota , the Cherokee capital. In Rome, Ross established a ferry along the headwaters of the Coosa River close to the home of Major Ridge , an older wealthy and influential Cherokee leader. By December 1836, Ross's properties were appraised at $ 23,665 ($ 656596 today). He
962-487: A year. Their surviving children were Annie Brian Ross Dobson (1845–1876) and John Ross Jr. (1847–1905). At the age of twenty, having completed his education and with bilingual skills, Ross received an appointment as US Indian agent to the western Cherokee and was sent to their territory (in present-day Arkansas ). During the War of 1812 , he served as an adjutant in a Cherokee regiment. He fought under General Andrew Jackson at
1036-544: Is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee , United States. The population was 664 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical Area . The land now occupied by Charleston and Bradley County was home to the Cherokee long before European settlers arrived. What is now Charleston began around 1808 when Major John Walker Sr., a part-Cherokee grandson of Nancy Ward , established
1110-873: Is a major local employer. Logging trucks and rail traffic to and from this plant frequently traverse Charleston. Charleston is the postal address of the international headquarters of the Christian denomination The Church of God , commonly called "The Church of God (Charleston, Tennessee)" to distinguish it from other similarly named denominations. However, the denomination's headquarters are actually located in Cleveland. Olin Chemical and Lonza, both located on Old Lower River Road in Charleston, make pool chemicals as well as several other products. They employ several hundred people. GE Lighting (DHL Supply Chain) broke ground right off
1184-460: Is situated on the north bank of the Hiwassee, on the McMinn County side. Charleston is traversed by U.S. Route 11 , which enters the city from Calhoun to the north and exits the city en route to Cleveland to the south. Interstate 75 , which roughly parallels U.S. 11 in the area, runs about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Charleston, and is connected to the city by State Route 308 . According to
1258-554: The 2020 United States census , there were 664 people, 307 households, and 199 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010, there were 651 people, 253 households, and 166 families residing in the city. The population density was 651 people per square mile. The housing unit density was 253 units per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 77.27% White , 19.82% African American , 0.15% Native American , 0.31% Asian , 1.69% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races . Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.15% of
1332-607: The Battle of Horseshoe Bend against the British -allied Upper Creek warriors, known as the Red Sticks . They were traditionalists, who resisted the assimilationist tendencies of the Lower Creek. The latter had lived more closely with European Americans and adopted some of their practices. Ross began a series of business ventures which made him among the wealthiest of all Cherokee. He derived
1406-731: The Cherokee Removal known as the Trail of Tears . Henegar and his wife, Margaret Lea Henegar, returned to Charleston after the removal and constructed the home in 1849. The home was designed by architect William Baumann, and constructed in the Federal-style architecture . During the Civil War , the home was used as headquarters for both Union and Confederate Generals including William T. Sherman , Oliver O. Howard , Marcus J. Wright , and Samuel Bolivar Buckner. While Tennessee seceded and became part of
1480-667: The Cherokee removal in 1838. In 1821, the Cherokee Agency—; the official liaison between the U.S. government and the Cherokee Nation—; was moved to the location of present-day Charleston. The agent to the Cherokees was first Colonel Return J. Meigs Sr. , who had served in the American Revolutionary War , and later Joseph McMinn , who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1815 to 1821. Lewis Ross,
1554-541: The Civil War the Henegar House , the oldest remaining brick structure in Bradley County, was used as headquarters by both Union and Confederate generals including William T. Sherman , Oliver O. Howard , Marcus J. Wright , and Samuel Bolivar Buckner. The Charleston Cumberland Presbyterian Church building was used as a hospital by Confederate Forces in 1863. The railroad bridge over the Hiwassee River in Charleston
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#17328558958831628-578: The Civil War Trails Association's national tour in 2010. In November 2011 it was announced that painter Don Troiani had been commissioned by local businessman Allan Jones to paint the Henegar House. The painting, titled "Sherman Leaving the Henegar House - December 1, 1863", was completed in 2012, and is housed in the nearby Hiwassee River Heritage Center . The house was listed for sale in 2013. Charleston, Tennessee Charleston
1702-610: The Monroe and Adams administrations, to defend Cherokee rights before the U.S. Supreme Court . Wirt argued two cases on behalf of the Cherokee: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia . In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia , Chief Justice John Marshall acknowledged that the Cherokee were a sovereign nation, stating, "[T]he Cherokees as a state, as a distinct political society, separated from others, capable of managing its own affairs and governing itself, has, in
1776-525: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km ), of which 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ), or 5.77%, is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Charleston has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of
1850-507: The matrilineal kinship system of the Cherokee, Ross and his siblings were considered born to his mother's family and Bird Clan . They gained their social status from her people. In such a system, typically the mother's eldest brother had a major role in the children's lives, especially for boys. His mother and grandmother were of mixed race, but also considered part of their mother's Cherokee family and clan, and were brought up primarily in Cherokee culture. Ross's great-grandmother Ghigooie,
1924-552: The Cherokee Nation refused to engage in battles against other Native peoples, including those Muscogee Creek people under Opothleyahola seeking refuge in Kansas. Once outside the Indian Territory, Ross negotiated agreements with the Union for Cherokee support through Indian Home Guard Regiments. Many of those formerly fighting for the Confederacy but loyal to Ross, switched sides to support
1998-472: The Cherokee Nation, as well as the women elders of his clan. By 1813, as relations with the United States became more complex, older chiefs such as Pathkiller could not effectively defend Cherokee interests. Ross's ascent showed that Cherokee leaders recognized the importance of having formally educated, English-speaking leaders to represent them. Both Pathkiller and Hicks trained Ross, who served as their clerk and worked on all financial and political matters of
2072-776: The Cherokee Nation. Despite these setbacks, Ross worked to re-establish a unified Cherokee Nation and re-establish a nation-to-nation treaty with the US. He died in Washington, DC on August 1, 1866. Ross (also known by his Cherokee name, Guwisguwi ) was born in Turkeytown (in modern day Alabama ), on the Coosa River , to Mollie (née McDonald) and her husband Daniel Ross, an immigrant Scots trader. His siblings who survived to adulthood included Jane Ross Coodey (1787–1844), Elizabeth Grace Ross Ross (1789–1876), Lewis Ross (1796–1870), Andrew 'Tlo-s-ta-ma' Ross (1798–1840), Margaret Ross Hicks (1803–1862), and Maria Ross Mulkey (1806–1838). Under
2146-595: The Cherokee Nation: they confiscated a large section of Cherokee occupied land, nullified Cherokee law within the confiscated area, banned further meetings of the Cherokee government in Georgia, declared contracts between Indians and whites null and void unless witnessed by two whites, disallowed Indians from testifying against a white person in court, and forbade Cherokee to dig for gold on their own lands. The laws were made effective June 1, 1830. These were calculated to force
2220-478: The Cherokee cause on April 15, 1824. This fundamentally altered the traditional relationship between an Indian nation and the US government. Never before had an Indian nation petitioned Congress with grievances. In Ross's correspondence, what had previously been the tone of petitions by submissive Indians was replaced by assertive defenders. Ross was able to argue subtle points about legal responsibilities as well as whites. Some politicians in Washington recognized
2294-731: The Cherokee to move. In May 1830, Congress endorsed Jackson's policy of removal by passing the Indian Removal Act . Jackson signed the Act on May 23. It authorized the president to set aside lands west of the Mississippi to exchange for the lands of the Indian nations in the Southeast . In the summer of 1830, Jackson urged the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek to sign individual treaties accepting removal from their homelands. The Cherokee refused to attend
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2368-657: The Cherokee's principal chief and last hereditary chief, and, two weeks later, Charles R. Hicks , Ross's mentor, both died. Ross, as president of the National Committee, and Major Ridge, as speaker of the National Council, were responsible for the affairs of the tribe. In a letter dated February 23, 1827, to Colonel Hugh Montgomery, the Cherokee agent, Ross wrote that with the death of Hicks, he had assumed responsibility for all public business of The Nation. Charles Hicks's brother William served briefly as interim chief until
2442-413: The Confederacy, most of East Tennessee , including Bradley County, voted against secession and sympathized with the Union. Sherman spent the night at the house on Nov. 30, 1863, and it was there that he received orders to take command of a column of troops moving to relieve Knoxville. According to historic records, the back porch was the site of a tense conversation between Mrs. Henegar and Sherman, in which
2516-519: The Confederacy. For the Cherokee Nation, the Civil War represented the extended divisions created by Removal and the Trail of Tears. Ross supporters largely served under John Drew's regiment. Treaty Party supporters largely served under Stand Watie. During the war, federal troops arrested Ross and removed him from Indian Territory. Many Cherokee people less committed to the Confederacy and more committed to
2590-569: The Court found that Georgia could not extend its laws to the Cherokee Nation because that was a power of the federal government. Marshall stated that "the acts of Georgia are repugnant to the Constitution, laws and treaties of the United States. They interfere forcibly with the relations established between the United States and the Cherokee nation, the regulation of which, according to the settled principles of our Constitution, are committed exclusively to
2664-766: The Cowpea Festival, takes place in Charleston each year of the second Saturday in September. The Hiwassee River Heritage Center in Charleston, opened in 2013, showcases the history of the Cherokee Nation and Removal in the area. The center was expanded in 2019 to include a portion of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail . 35°17′04″N 84°45′25″W / 35.284366°N 84.756837°W / 35.284366; -84.756837 John Ross (Cherokee chief) John Ross ( Cherokee : ᎫᏫᏍᎫᏫ , romanized: Guwisguwi , lit. 'Mysterious Little White Bird'; October 3, 1790 – August 1, 1866)
2738-540: The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, a constitutional republic. Although the constitution was ratified in October 1827, it did not take effect until October 1828, at which point Ross was elected principal chief. He was repeatedly reelected and held this position until his death in 1866. He was very popular, among both full-bloods, who comprised three-fourths of the population, and mixed-bloods. The Cherokee had created
2812-499: The National Council placed Ross among the Cherokee ruling elite. The majority of the men were wealthy, of mixed-race , and English-speaking. Most Cherokee still spoke only Cherokee. In November 1818, just before the General Council meeting with U.S. Indian agent Joseph McMinn , who was assigned to deal with the Cherokee, Ross became president of the National Committee, a position he would hold through 1827. The Council selected Ross for that leadership position because they believed he had
2886-561: The Union through the Indian Home Guard. Ross's absence from Indian Territory provided a political opening for Watie. While Ross was away, those loyal to Watie elected him Principal Chief. When Ross returned, an election was held re-electing him to the office. At those close of the war, those calling themselves the Southern Cherokees under Watie's leadership stepped forward as the rightful negotiators of any treaty, as did Ross as
2960-888: The United States government. Many full-blood Cherokee frequented his father's trading company, so he encountered tribal members on many levels. As a child, Ross participated in tribal events, such as the Green Corn Festival . The elder Ross insisted that John also receive a rigorous classical education. After being educated at home, Ross pursued higher studies with the Reverend Gideon Blackburn , who established two schools in southeast Tennessee for Cherokee children. Classes were in English and students were mostly of mixed race, like Ross. The young Ross finished his education at an academy in South West Point , near Kingston, Tennessee . Ross's life of other bicultural people in
3034-530: The area anticipating a future forced removal of the Cherokee by the Federal Government. At times, these settlers came into conflict with the Cherokee, who resisted settlers who tried to take over their territory. After the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 , Fort Cass was constructed in Charleston as the headquarters of the Cherokee removal, which was initiated by the Treaty of New Echota in December 1835. During
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3108-479: The brother of Chief John Ross , constructed a home nearby in 1820, and established a trading post and store in the city the following year. Between 1832 and the Cherokee removal in 1838, the Red Clay Council Grounds in southern Bradley County, now a state park by the same name , served as the final eastern capitol of the Cherokee Nation. In the 1820s and 1830s, many white settlers began to move into
3182-534: The ceded lands and clarify Cherokee right to the remaining lands. Secretary of War John C. Calhoun pressed Ross to cede large tracts of land in Tennessee and Georgia. Although he refused, the US government pressure continued and intensified. In October 1822, Calhoun requested that the Cherokee relinquish their land claimed by Georgia, in fulfillment of the United States' obligation under the Compact of 1802 . Before responding to Calhoun's proposition, Ross first ascertained
3256-759: The change represented by Ross's leadership. Future president John Quincy Adams wrote, "[T]here was less Indian oratory, and more of the common style of white discourse, than in the same chief's speech on their first introduction." Adams specifically noted Ross as "the writer of the delegation" and remarked that "they [had] sustained a written controversy against the Georgia delegation with greate[sic] advantage." Georgia's delegation indirectly acknowledged Ross's skill: an editorial published in The Georgia Journal charged that "the Cherokee delegation's letters were fraudulent" because "too refined to have been written or dictated by an Indian". In January 1827, Pathkiller ,
3330-469: The city was $ 20,587. About 8.0% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 and over. As of the census of 2000 , there were 630 people, 265 households, and 182 families residing in the city. The population density was 639.9 inhabitants per square mile (247.1/km ). There were 280 housing units at an average density of 284.4 per square mile (109.8/km ). The racial makeup of
3404-514: The city was 72.54% White , 23.49% African American , 0.48% Asian , 0.79% from other races , and 2.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population. There were 265 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who
3478-521: The diplomatic skills necessary to rebuff American requests to cede Cherokee lands. He soon refused McMinn's offer of $ 200,000 US, conditioned upon the Cherokee voluntarily removing to the west beyond the Mississippi . In 1819, the Council sent Ross with a delegation to Washington, D.C. He assumed a larger leadership role. The delegation proposed to clarify the provisions of the Treaty of 1817 —both to limit
3552-484: The elected chief. The US required the Five Civilized Tribes to negotiate new peace treaties after the war. Ross made another trip to Washington, DC, for this purpose. Although Ross had negotiated with Lincoln during the war, his assassination enabled US commissioners to treat the Cherokee Nation as a defeated enemy. As Ross had feared, commissioners used the political divisions to extract greater penalties from
3626-444: The federal government's legal power to handle the whole affair. The series of decisions embarrassed Jackson politically, as Whigs attempted to use the issue in the 1832 election. They largely supported his earlier opinion that the "Indian Question" was one that was best handled by the federal government, and not local authorities. Meanwhile, the Cherokee Nation had encountered financial hard times. The U. S. government had stopped paying
3700-531: The first city to appoint a black police chief. Charleston is situated along the south bank of the Hiwassee River , which flows down out of the Blue Ridge Mountains several miles to the east and empties into the Chickamauga Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River several miles to the west. The river forms the boundary between Bradley County and McMinn County . Calhoun , Charleston's sister city,
3774-507: The general advised Mrs. Henegar, who was a supporter of the Confederacy, to leave the South for safety, claiming that "not even a bird would remain" in the south after he was finished. Mrs. Henegar rejected his advice and declared that she and her husband, who was a Unionist, would never leave. The Henegar House was listed on the NRHP on July 6, 1976. The house was added as a site to the Tennessee sites in
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#17328558958833848-473: The government of the Union." The Cherokee were considered sovereign enough to legally resist the government of Georgia, and they were encouraged to do so. The court maintained that the Cherokee Nation was dependent on the federal government, much like a protectorate state, but still a sovereign entity. But the dispute was made moot when federal legislation in the form of the Indian Removal Act exercised
3922-493: The interstate in 2007 and employs several hundreds of people, distributing General Electric light bulbs. An Amazon Fulfillment Center, located off the interstate in Charleston, employs several hundred people. Germany-based chemical company Wacker Chemie broke ground in 2011 on a new solar-grade polysilicon production facility (550-acre Greenfield site). At a cost of $ 2 billion, 650 new jobs were generated. The International Cowpea Festival and Cook-off, commonly referred to as
3996-469: The majority of his wealth from cultivating 170 acres (0.69 km ) tobacco in Tennessee; it was the major commodity crop. He held about 20 enslaved African Americans to cultivate and process this labor-intensive crop. In 1816 he founded Ross's Landing , served by a ferry crossing. After the Cherokee were removed to Indian Territory in the 1830s, European-American settlers changed the name of Ross's Landing to Chattanooga. In addition, Ross had established
4070-505: The nation to move. He led a faction that became known as the National Party. Twenty others, who came to believe that further resistance would be futile, wanted to seek the best settlement they could get and formed the "Treaty Party," or "Ridge Party," led by Major Ridge. Treaty Party negotiated with the United States and signed the Treaty of New Echota on December 29, 1835, which required the Cherokee to leave by 1838. Neither Chief Ross nor
4144-426: The nation. They also steeped him in Cherokee tradition. In a series of letters to Ross, Hicks outlined known Cherokee traditions. In 1816, the chief's council named Ross to his first delegation to American leaders in Washington, D.C. The delegation of 1816 was directed to resolve sensitive issues, including national boundaries, land ownership, and white encroachment on Cherokee land, particularly in Georgia. Only Ross
4218-450: The national council ever approved this treaty, but the US government regarded it as valid. The majority, about two-thirds of Cherokee people, followed the National Party and objected to and voted against complying with the Treaty of New Echota. Forced removal spared no one, including Principal Chief Ross, who lost his first wife Quatie (Brown) Ross during the Trail of Tears. Removal and
4292-524: The new Cherokee Constitution that followed August 23, 1839, violent reprisals continued through 1846. Cherokee people continued to elect Ross as Principal Chief through the Civil War Era. Ross hoped to maintain neutrality during the Civil War, but a variety of conditions prevented him from doing so. First, Stand Watie, a political opponent, Treaty Party member, kin to the Ridges, and Boudinot's brother raised
4366-649: The northern United States and Canada. Many Cherokee people intermarried with Scottish traders during the eighteenth century. Scots and English fur traders in North America were typically men of social status and financial standing who married high-ranking Native American women. Both sides believed these were strategic alliances, helping both the Native Americans and the traders. They educated their children in bi-cultural and multilingual environments. The bicultural children often married and rose to positions of stature in society, both in political and economic terms. John Ross survived two wives and had several children. He married
4440-437: The opinion of a majority of the judges, been completely successful." But he did not compel President Jackson to take action that would defend the Cherokee from Georgia's laws, because he did not find that the U.S. Supreme Court had original jurisdiction over a case in which a tribe was a party. In 1832, the Supreme Court further defined the relation of the federal government and the Cherokee Nation. In Worcester v. Georgia ,
4514-432: The population. Of the 253 households, 30.04% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.83% were married couples living together, 11.46% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.32% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.39% were non-families. 30.43% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.86% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
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#17328558958834588-506: The principal negotiator despite his relative youth. When he returned to the Cherokee Nation in 1817, he was elected to the National Council. He became council president in the following year. The majority of the council were men like Ross: wealthy, educated, English-speaking, and of mixed blood. In 1824, Ross boldly petitioned Congress for redress of Cherokee grievances, which made the Cherokee the first tribe ever to do so. Both Pathkiller and Hicks died in January 1827. Hicks's brother, William,
4662-437: The right of Georgia to extend her laws over the Cherokee people. On December 8, 1829, President Andrew Jackson made a speech announcing his intention to pass a bill through Congress by the following spring requiring Indian tribes living in the Southeastern states to move west of the Mississippi and cede their land claims in the East. On December 19, 1829, the Georgia legislature, enacted a series of laws that greatly restricted
4736-453: The sentiment of the Cherokee people. They were unanimously opposed to further cession of land. In January 1824, Ross traveled to Washington to defend the Cherokee possession of their land. Calhoun offered two solutions to the Cherokee delegation: either relinquish title to their lands and remove west, or accept denationalization and become citizens of the United States. Rather than accept Calhoun's ultimatum, Ross directly petitioned Congress for
4810-424: The subsequent coordinated executions of Treaty Party signers Major Ridge, John Ridge, and former editor of the Cherokee Phoenix Elias Boudinot on June 22, 1839 thrust the Cherokee Nation into a civil war. Despite the Act of Union signed by Old Settlers, (Cherokees who removed west earlier under the Treaties of 1817 and 1819) and the Eastern Emigrants (those forced to remove under Ross's leadership) on July 12, 1839 and
4884-447: The summer of 1838, thousands of Cherokees from various locations were held in internment camps at the fort under the supervision of federal troops before starting their journey westward, which became known as the Trail of Tears . Several other internment camps were located in the valleys between Charleston and present-day Cleveland, Tennessee over a distance of 12 miles (19 km), including one at nearby Rattlesnake Springs . During
4958-590: The widow Elizabeth "Quatie" (Brown) Henley (1791–1839) in 1812 or 1813. She was a Cherokee, born in 1791 and had one child from her marriage. Her late husband, Robert Henley, may have died during the War of 1812. Quatie Ross died in 1839 in Arkansas on the Trail of Tears as discussed below. She was survived by their children James McDonald Ross (1814–1864), William Allen Ross (1817–1891), Jane Ross Meigs-Nave (1821–1894), Silas Dean Ross (1829–1872) and George Washington Ross (1830–1870). John Ross remarried in 1844, to Mary Stapler (1826–1865), whom he survived by less than
5032-448: Was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.23. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.27% under the age of 18, 60.37% ages 18 to 64, and 13.36% age 65 and older. The median age was 38.6 years. 50.54% of the population were females, and 49.46% were males. The median household income was $ 34,805, and the median family income was $ 48,333. Males had a median income of $ 32,188, versus $ 30,750 for females. The per capita income for
5106-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for
5180-426: Was appointed interim chief. Ross and Major Ridge shared responsibilities for the affairs of the tribe. Because William did not impress the Cherokee as a leader, they elected Ross as permanent principal chief in October 1828, a position that he held until his death. The problem of removal split the Cherokee Nation politically. Ross, backed by the vast majority, tried repeatedly to stop white political powers from forcing
5254-412: Was destroyed as part of the East Tennessee bridge burnings in November 1861. Charleston was incorporated on November 11, 1956. Several areas in and around Charleston were used as the primary filming locations for the 1960 Elia Kazan film Wild River . The city's business district served as the fictional Garthville in the film. Charleston was the first city in Tennessee to elect a black mayor and
5328-525: Was fluent in English, making him a central figure, although Cherokee society traditionally favored older leaders. In November 1817, the Cherokee formed the National Council . Ross was elected to the thirteen-member body, where each man served two-year terms. The National Council was created to consolidate Cherokee political authority after General Andrew Jackson made two treaties with small cliques of Cherokee representing minority factions. Membership in
5402-535: Was ranked as one of the five wealthiest men in the Cherokee Nation. Between 1811 and 1827, Ross learned how to conduct negotiations with the United States and acquire leadership skills to run a national government. After 1814, Ross's political career as a Cherokee legislator and diplomat progressed with the support of such individuals as the Principal Chief Pathkiller , Assistant Principal Chief Charles R. Hicks , and Casey Holmes , an elder statesman of
5476-519: Was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 to 1866; he served longer in that position than any other person. Ross led the nation through such tumultuous events as forced removal to Indian Territory and the American Civil War . Ross's parents sent him for formal schooling to institutions that served other bicultural Cherokee people. At the age of twenty, Ross was appointed as
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