For more than 50 years and authored various articles and ed di edited various books on cherokee history. I can say he continued his Research Even yesterday at the library of virginia. So it gives me pleasure to invite jack baker. [ applause ] thanks, elizabeth. Its an honor to be part of the symposium, but i come before you as a citizens of the United States and also a citizens of the Cherokee Nation. Im an eighth generation oklahoman. At the time of the forced removal cherokees on farms and even large plantations and as lindsay pointed out, our constitution was adopted in 1827. By 1819, our people had seeded 90 of our original lands. And lindsay pointed it out on the map, as well, the dark area at the bottom is all there was left at the time of removal. So these remaining lands we sought to keep on our white neighbors desired to the turkey farms, sought to have them removed. The Supreme Court in 1832 decision the case of worcester versus georgia recognize the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation, yet this did not save us from the treaty signed by a handful of cherokees. They were given two years of date to removal. In late may of 1838, general wynnefield scott and his troops began to round up our people. Removal force had been constructed throughout the Cherokee Nation as places to contain the cherokees as they were gathered up for removal. Several of these had been constructed a couple of years before during the creek removal. Several hundred creeks had fled to the Cherokee Nation to avoid removal and soldiers had gone throughout the nation in an attempt to find them. So sometimes questioned as whether cherokees did not go ahead and remove as they were aware of the force being constructed. Reverend steven foreman, a half cherokee who had been educated in the Mission Schools 1838. Candace Creek Mission to reverend david green, very dear sir, from the date of my letter you will perceive i am still in the Cherokee Nation east and still in the neighborhood of the Creek Mission. How much longer we shall be permitted to remain here in our own lands, to enjoy our rights and privileges i do not know. From the present aspect of affairs we shall very soon be without house and home. Indeed, ever since the 23rd of may weve been looking almost daily for the soldiers to come. And turn us out of our houses. They have already warned us to make arrangements and come into the camps before we were forced to do so. But i have stated distinctly to the officers at headquarters what i thought of this socalled treaty. And what course i intend to pursue in the event that no new treaty was made and i see no reasons yet why i should change my mind. My determination, and the determines of the large majority of the cherokees, yet in the nation, is never to recognize this fraudulent instrument as a treaty, nor remove under it nol we are forced to do so at the point of the bayonet. It may seem unwise and hazardous to the framers and friends of this instrument that we should pursue such a course. But i am fully satisfied it is the only one we can pursue with a clear conscience. Reverend Daniel Buttry a new england missionary who was with the Cherokee Nation almost 20 years wrote in his journal, in georgia we were supposed to be about 8,000 cherokees, they recollect taken as they were found by the soldiers, without permission to stop either for friends or property. As the soldiers advanced towards the house, two little children fled in fright to the woods. The woman pleaded for permission to seek them or wait until they came this, giving positive assurances that she would then follow on and join the company. But all entreaties were vain and it was not until a day or two after that she would get permission for one of her friends to go back after her lost children. A man deaf and dumb, being surprised at the approach of armed men, attempted to make his escape. And because he did not hear and obey the command of his pursue es, was shot dead on the spot. Women absent from their families on visits or for other purposes were seized and men far from their wives and children were not allowed to return. And also children being forced from home, or dragged off among strangers. Cattle, horses, hogs, household furniture, clothing and money. Not with them when taken were left. And its said that the white inhabitants around stood with open arms to seize whatever property they could put their hands on. Some few who had friends to speak for them resisted afterwards, in getting some part of their lost goods. Thus, in two or three days about 8,000 people, many of whom were in good circumstances, and some rich, were rendered homeless, houseless and penniless, and exposed to all the ills of captivity. If a few months later lucy butler, the wife of dr. Eliza butler wrote at a childhood friend in massachusetts lizur butler was a missionary, in prison i was happy to see that lindsey mentioned him as part of this. Because i assume its because the case is worcester versus georgia. Unfortunately his sacrifice for the most part has been overlooked. But part of lucys letter states i grieve the missionary labors in 1827. I arrived at brainard among the cherokees and engaged in teaching at brainard. And remained there until they entered into the married state in 1830, and removed to a mission station west of prison road in georgia. Here i have not lived a year before my husband was shut up in prison by the authorities of georgia. For refusing to take an oath to support their measures against the cherokee. Or to leave his situation or his station which was in the chartered limits of that state. After laboring nearly a year and a half in the penitentiary he returned to his missionary labors among the cherokees but in a little more than a year this same law, which had sent him to prison, found means to break up our mission station. We then had an invitation from the cherokees to commence a station at this place that is red clay, tennessee. And the methods of taking the cherokees prisoners were various. And she goes on to state it was common for a party of soldiers with the wagon attached to the train to be sent to a certain neighborhood, on arriving at a house the inmates were ordered to march, sometimes they were allowed to take some light articles to be conveyed in the wagon. But many times they were not suffered to carry long enough to take as much as a change of clothes with them. If their horses were at hand, they were often permitted to ride them. But it is often as not they were driven on foot at the point of the bayonet. If parents could not convey their children on horses or on their own backs, they were ordered to get into the wagon. And if any reluctance was shown by them, they were thrown in by the soldiers and then driven over the rough road with such speed that in some instances they have been severely injured. And perhaps the prisoners were driven with more haste from their dwellings on account of the frequent rumor of indian hostilities. The fear of this, and the suspicion that the cherokees would secret themselves have led the soldiers to gather some neighborhoods in the night. To accomplish this they would enter a cherokee dwelling and the family in the midst of their slumbers would be aroused for their march. Here would be grouped together the aged, infirm, middleaged, youth and children of all sizes. Gathering the people in such haste, whether by night or by day, has been the occasion of much distress and loss of property. Husbands and wives, parents and children have been separated and carried off to different camps where they know nothing of each other for weeks or months. When they were first taken to 31 stockades constructed throughout the Cherokee Nation and the conditions in these stockades were deplorable. People had no shelter, only a few blankets, so that people were able to grab as they were being forced from their homes and inadequate food. These stockades were referred to as concentration camp, and it may be the first time that this term was used. From these holding stockades the cherokees were taken to 11 internment camps, ten of these were in tennessee and the remaining one was in alabama. On may 31st, reverend butrik of Brainard Mission tells of one group being taken to the internment camps. He states astoundingly, a little before sunset, a company of about 200 cherokees were driven into our lane. The day had been rainy and of course all men, women and children were dripping wet. With no change of dloclothing a scarcely a blanket fit to cover them and some of the women, when taken from their houses, had on their poorest dress, this, of course, was the amount of their clothing for a journey of about 800 miles. As soon as permission was obtained from the officers we opened every door to these poor sufferers. Mothers brought their dear little babes star fire and stripped off their only covering to dry. How heart rending was the sight of those little sufferers, their little lips blue and trembling with cold seemed yet to form a smile of gratitude for this kind reception. Id like to tell you how the removal affected my fourth grade grandfather james hare, Family Tradition states that his motherinlaw Lizzie Radley gave birth to a baby girl right after the removal or after the roundup started and while being driven to one of the internment camps she became too weak to go any further and refused to cross the stream. She was stabbed by one of the soldiers soldiers and died soon after. And the reverend at this time recorded in his journal an almost identical story of the woman, he states we also learned that when the last company were taken over the river at rosss landing the woman in the pains of childbirth stood and walked as long as possible, then fell on the bank of the river. A soldier coming up stabbed her with his bayonet, which together with other pains soon caused her death. And james hare has married her daughter only a few months before, and lizies other five children accompanied james and his wife on the forced removal and was reared by them. So in midjune three groups of about 800 each were started west from rosss landing at present chat kn chattanooga, tennessee. The other crossed the upper part of moccasin bend. Of that group, only 635 arrived in the west, with 146 deaths, and two births being recorded. There was a severe drought at the time with extreme heat, and james hares mother, katie north, along with her father, was in this group. Her father William North was a white man who had married a cherokee woman about 60 years before. A couple of months before he had been described as being upwards of 100 years, and completely blind for the last 25 years. Theres no record of his arriving in the west. However, in a series of interviews conducted in the chattanooga area around 1900, a mr. A. G. Carter tells this story. A white man named north married an indian and later became blind. He, that is mr. Carter, heard that they threw him in the river and drowned him on the way west because he was so much trouble. But because of the high casualties of these first groups permission was given to the later removal of the other groups until fall when it would be cooler. Also the cherokee leaders petitioned general scott that they be allowed to conduct their own removal. Permission was granted. James hares father, hare conrad, was the leader of the first detachment to lead that fall. However, he soon became too ill to continue as its leader and had to relinquish the position. James hairs sister, betsy, the wife of ash hopper, traveled in Richard Taylors detachment and reverend buttrik who also accompanied this detachment wrote in his journal, december 1st 1838, on thursday, two children, one a daughter of our dear sister ash hopper were called into eternity. So james hairs now lost his grandfather, his wifes mother, and his niece. And by this time the extreme heat of summer had given way to an unseasonably cold winter. The reverend on december 26th, the detachment stopped by floating eyes and the hild brand stopped by the same means at the ohio river. December 27th, we proceeded with the detachment, about six miles, where we camped for the week. Here the slow increase of three or four inches and the weather was excessively cold. Lucy butler in the same letter that i mentioned earlier, written on december 20th, states my husband has preached among the cherokees, and attended on them as physician since they were first taken. Last summer by their request he was appointed a physician by general scott in a camp about eight miles from our station. And after arrangements were made for the cherokees to remove themselves he was appointed by mr. Ross to serve as physician in a company on the way to the west. With the last letter i had from you was mailed at jonesboro, illinois on the 19th of november, about 20 miles this side of the mississippi. Did not accomplish quite half their journey at that time. Did have considerable sickness, about 27 of their number laid buried between that place and the one where they commenced their journey. And during this time george hicks, one of the conductors of the removal detachment and a member of the mo ravian church sent the following letter in salem, north carolina, johnson county, illinois, 13th of january, 1839. My dear friend and brother, we left the Cherokee Nation east, the land of our nativity, on the first day of last november, and took up the line of our march for the far west. And through the mercies of an all white providence, whose ever ready to assist the oppressed and whose ears ever open of their cries, have arrived thus far on our journey to the west. The following winter has been very cold, we have necessarily suffered a great deal from exposure, from cold and fatigue. Our people, a great many of them were very poor, and very destitute of clothing. And of the means of rendering themselves comfortable. We done all in our power to remedy the destitute situation, and contributed very much to their comfort by supplying them so far as we could with clothing, blankets and shoes. But still we have suffered a great deal with sickness, and of loss since the 21st of october, last about 35, a great proportion of them were the aged and children. Our numbers are probably over 1,100, and so large a train to attend to to their want and to watch over required a great deal of care in industry and causes of great anxiety of mind and so much responsibility added to the fatigue of traveling brought up only a spell of sickness from which i thought i should not recover, but through the mercies of an allwhite providence, i have a good deal recovered my health. We are now lying about 20 miles to the Mississippi River, which we cannot cross on account of the ice. We have been lying by about two weeks, and have not been traveling on account of their being ahead of us, two detachments of cherokees who must cross before we could cross. Mississippi has been full of large quantities of floating ice, which at times its impassable. But still they keep crossing, and im in hopes well get over in one or two weeks. We will start in the morning again on ojourney west. The roads are all in very bad order as the ground was frozen very deep, and theres been for the last ten days a general thaw. Not even any frost. Together with a group good deal of wet which will probably make the roads almost impassable but we must necessarily calculate on suffering a great deal from hardship and exposure before we yet reach our homes in the far west. We look to the almighty for strength and protection, to enable us to reach the place of destination. As yet we are hardly halfway, and to look forward on the determination of our journey and our toils we cannot as yet, but hope for the best. Respectfully, george hicks. So our principle chief john ross left last after he had seen all of the other cherokees on their way west. He traveled by steam boat with a small group of cherokees, and ordered to take those who had been too ill to leave with the regular detachments. And while the various detachments were waiting to cross the Mississippi River he visited the camps. And he wrote the following account. On my arrival with the water detachment at fiduka i received various excuse me, letters from various persons connected with some of the first houses in nashville, informing me that it was understood many of the land detachments had been stopped at the Mississippi River by ice and for various reasons it would be most advisable to transport the immigrants from that point by water. Therefore they sent me proposals for furnishing the steam boats for that purpose. And from the mouth of the ohio i also received letters from mr. Thomas clark jr. When one of my principal agents on the route and other persons all urging me in the most pressing terms to visit the detachments that were still detained at or near will lards ferry on the Mississippi River. As my presence among the people was necessary to remove many of certain tails, calculated to deter them from pursuing their journey to missouri on roads represented to be very bad and impossible to secure supplies for the provision of themselves and horses, these reports were suspected to have been put in circulation with the view of creating alarms among the people that they might insist on taking water at that point. And most of these rumors were started by the first families of mashville, which im sure most of you remember is the home of andrew jackson. And so these were his cronies. Many of whom who made a great deal of money on the earlier removals of the other tribes and so they were seeking to profit more from the cherokee removal. So it was also rosss it was also suggested that it might be deemed advisable to transfer some of the sick to the water detachment. I therefore deemed it my duty to repair to them without hesitation. At first i determined on the propriety of running the boat up to willlards ferry with a view to receive as much of the sick. But the captain of the boat advised against it, for reasons that neither himself nor the pilot do anything at the navigation of that part of the Mississippi River. So to passage on the boat from ascending the river, and leaving, his underline, my sick family with the other immigrants, to await my return, which should be as speedily as possible. About 12 00 that night i was landed at willards ferry where i met with mr. Clark and my brother louis and others from whom i ascertained that the detachment had crossed the river and camped a short distance off. And that george hicks, Peter Hildebrand and Richard Taylors detachment had not yet crossed. No change could or would be made from completing the journey by land. That it was evident these alarming tales about the roads to missouri were in great measure magnified for effect. But however true the scarcity and high prices for supplies immediately on the road might prove to be, that supplies should be procured, cost what they would, if they were to be had at all within reach of the route of their travel. Preparations were then directed to be made for taking up the line of march the next morning, which was done accordingly. And i might add that while the cherokees were in charge of their own removal, there was never any complaint of lack of food on the way. And ross goes on to say the descending boats could not be prevailed upon me to upon to stop and take me on board. After thus being detained two or three days i determined not to wait any longer for passage by water. And i procured the loan of a horse and rode down in two days to the boat accompanied by my brother. And the next morning, after my return, we slipped cable. Within a week from that time, the underlining is by ross, my children became motherless and the remains of mrs. Ross were left in a strange land. His wife died near little rock, arkansas and she was buried in little rock. Three of the 12 detachments arrived in the Cherokee Nation during january. Did cross the mississippi before the ice stopped the other detachments. The others arrived in february and march. And its often been estimated that as many as 4,000 of the 16,000 cherokees died as a result of the forced removal. There appears to have been only about 1,200 deaths during the actual removal. However, there were many additional deaths immediately following the removal that reduced the population of the Cherokee Nation by at least an additional 1,600 people. So there were at least close to 3,000 deaths caused by the removal. In may of 1825 the cherokees had passed an act imposing a Death Penalty on anyone who should propose the sale for the exchange of their lands. After their arrival in the present Cherokee Nation a group of cherokees met secretly and sentenced various members of the treaty party to death based on that law. Major ridge along with his son john ridge, and his nephew elias budenhot were all executed at various places on june 22nd of 1839. And one of the executioners of major ridge was james hair. So the trail of tears is an example of what can happen when prejudice combines with greed. It was a direct result of the Supreme Court decision in worcester versus georgia being ignored. While we as cherokees faced the great adversity of the forced removal we survived. We immediately began to reestablish our nation, who were able to adapt to our new lands, and prosper in them, and chief hoskin after lunch will talk about the rebuilding of our nation and where we are today. So this ability of our people to survive and adapt is a true story of the trail of tears and how we wish it to be remembered. Thank you all. [ applause ] so are there any questions . Id like to thank you for sharing with us that very tragic story. And my name is steven atkins, im chief of the chick hominy indian tribe and it just really illuminates the bloodthirsty land grabbing invaders that set foot on jamestown on may 14th, 1607, and less than three years later lord delaware ordered the annihilation of the pass pahay tribe and by 1609 nine out of ten of the virginia woodland indians perished. The story that you told really resonates with me because forced removal for the chick hominy and other virginia indians occurred in 1646. And the department of education across the states has skillfully, artfully left out that history. So were surrounded by dominant culture thats largely ignorant of the tragedies that occurred among the indigenous people, beginning may 14th, 1607. Thank you. Weve had the same problem in our oklahoma textbooks, at least when i was growing up theres virtually nothing about the Indian Tribes in Oklahoma History adversity started with the land runs in our lands in 1889. But theyve improved somewhat, but not to the degree that they should. What is the status of those cherokees that did not do were not, because of various reasons, you know they married a white person, and did not do the trail of tears, my understanding is theyre not on the cherokee register, and theres no way those people can be on the cherokee register because they did not do the trail of tears for a multitude of reasons . Right. And as mentioned earlier by lindsey and in the one question about citizenship, of course as lindsey mentioned the 1835 treaty provided that if a person was able, that he could be apply and then become a citizen of the state and remain in the nation or excuse me, remain in georgia. Or some of the other states. I think there were about 150 in georgia that elected to do this. But as lindsey also mentioned they gave up their citizenship in the tribe to become citizens of the u. S. So while they are of cherokee descent theyre not eligible for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation because of that, because our role is based on residency and our citizens in 1902. And i liken it to the fact that i have german ancestors. And so i have some german descent but i certainly am not going back to germany to declare im a citizen. By bringing up the citizenship, it was the same thing. Thank you. I have a question regarding the native americans having plantations, you mentioned, and also were there United States laws regarding native americans owning or having enslaved africans or africanamericans . And also, were there enslaved africanamericans who moved along with you in during the migration to the north and to the west . Yes. Thank you. There were a few cherokees who did own africanamerican slaves during this period. The ones with the larger plantations for the most part shipped or made sure that their slaves which unfortunately they considered valuable property, they made sure that they made it to the Cherokee Nation west, without any problems. But there were a few cherokees that owned maybe one or two africanamericans and they accompanied them on the trail. And in buttriks journal when he was accompanying them on the Richard Taylor detachment he even describes at one point where he hired an africanamerican lady from the owner to do some washing and all for him and his wife. So we dont at least the trail of tears, we recognize that there were many africanamericans on the removals of the five tribes, but unfortunately theres not a lot of documentation or stories with them and we would like to include more of those stories as we find them. Thank you. Thank you. [ applause ] American History tv is on social media. Follow us at cspan history. Sunday, on the presidency, Ronald Reagan president ial library and Museum Director Duke Blackwood takes us on a virtual tour of the facility, showcasing the legacy of the nations 40th president. Heres a preview. One of my personal favorite displays in the museum is the president s personal diary. And what i find interesting about this is that almost every day of his presidency he actually wrote in this diary, theres five volumes. And the reason they did that is when they left the gubernatorial mansion they didnt remember a lot of the stuff. They said, okay, were going to write this down. It was really never meant to be published. It was just his notes and his thoughts and his feelings. But theres one entry that is dated the day of his assassination attempt which i think is extremely poignant, but it also gives you an insight into Ronald Reagan, the man. Now, remember, this was not necessarily going to be published. Im going to read this short passage. Getting shot hurts. Still my fear was growing because no matter how hard i tried to breathe it seemed i was getting less and less air. I focused on that tiled ceiling and prayed but i realized i couldnt ask for gods help while at the same time i felt hatred from the mixed up young man who had shot me, isnt that the meaning of the lost sheep . We are all gods children and therefore equally beloved by him. I began to pray for his soul and that he would find his way back to the fold. I dont know about you, but thats pretty impressive. The guy tried to kill him and thats what the president was writing. I feel that that is wonderful. The way we have the presentation you can actually electronically go through each of the pages. Watch the full Program Sunday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern, 5 00 p. M. Pacific here on American History tv. Youre watching American History tv, every weekend, on cspan3, ploeexplore our nation past, cspan 3 created by americas Cable Television companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Up next, university of richmond professor and president emeritus, edward ayers discussed how the expansion of slavery and westward migration displaced native americans throughout the antebellum period. This talk is part of john marshall, the Supreme Court and the trail of tears. An allday conference cohosted by the Virginia Museum of history and culture, and preservation virginia. If you want more information about the trail of tears, there is a national trail of tears association, its a partnership with the National Parks service. And local communities that are telling this story. So google trail of national trail of tears association. And it will get you to the website. Is that yes. Got that right, okay. So well, thank you for your rapt attention this morning, and
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