Geography and Migration APUSH Project

start

The Cherokee-How did they survive

12. Citations

11. Quiz/Skills Check

9. Population graph

10. Overview/Claim

8. Map

7. Timeline

6. Process for Success

5. Important Pictures

4. The Great River

3. Compare and Contrast

2. Leaders

1. Introduction

index

Claim:

Although the forest dwelling Cherokee were forced to relocate in the late 1830’s to the arid Oklahoma environment they became successful due to them settling near large rivers and their creation of a strong central government.

Stop at 10:37

Introduction

• The displacement occured during the winter which lead to starvation and disease that killed more than 1/4 of the 18,000 Cherokee that moved.

• Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 which provided funds for removing 5 Native tribes in the Southeast.

• Although they won the court case in the Supreme court Georgia did not protect the Indians lands and were forcibly removed

Key takeaways

Before the Trail of Tears Charles fought for the Cherokee in the fight to stay in their lands in current day Georgia. Although he eventually failed he was able to delay and negotiate for rights for the Cherokee and other natives tribes.

Leaders in the Relocation

Charles died shortly after starting his journey to the new land but was able to influence thousands before he left.

"We are now about to take our leave and kind farewell to our native land, the country that the Great Spirit gave our Fathers, we are on the eve of leaving that country that gave us birth...it is with sorrow we are forced by the white man to quit the scenes of our childhood... we bid farewell to it and all we hold dear." ~Charles Hicks, Tsalagi (Cherokee) Vice Chief on the Trail of Tears, August 4, 1838

Important People

His successor as Principal Chief was John Ross, one of the best chiefs for the Cherokee. John was able to create a stable and functioning government with the Act of Union in 1839. This allowed for the Pre-Trail of Tears Cherokee that moved to Oklahoma to join the incoming Cherokee. His leadership allowed for the Golden Age of the Cherokees which was from (1849-1860). This was a time of peace and prosperity throughout the lands.

• The area consists of moderate temperatures and rainfall.
• Flat grass filled plains with few trees.
• The areas of land not near a body of water are not easily growable and lack basic nutrients that a forest would typically have.
• Grasslands are also susceptible to seasonal fires that can wipe of praries and crops.
• Bodies of water are usually small and can easily dry up.

• The growing season is long and has all 4 distinct seasons.
• There is an abundance of rainfall and moisture.
• The soil is rich in nutrients and natural fertilizers.
• Mountains gave the Natives protection from the Americans as well as the other warring tribes.
• Bodies of water are plentiful.

Prarie Grasslands and Arid environment

Pine Forest and the Appalachain Mountains

Compare and Contrast

• Absent from harsh weather conditions

• Receives good sunlight

• Have at least one large body of water

• Have all 4 seasons

• Bodies of water are prone to drying up and are not reliable.

• Frequent and seasonal fires

• Average soil richness

• Water sources are common and are sustainable

• Few trees and large plains

• Rich and fertile soil

• Long growing season nearly all year round

• Mountains give protection from Americans and other tribes

• Many large trees that provide shade and shelter

New environment(Grasslands)

Old Environment(Forest)

Venn Diagram

The four main reasons rivers are vital in the survival of the Cherokee are:

• Drinking water ( the average human can only survive 3 days without water)

• Irrigation ( the Cherokee were predominantly farmers and needed water to grow crops and food for the villages).

• Source of food ( Cherokee were excellent fishers and used the Arkansas river as well as other smaller rivers to obtain a good source of food).

• Travel ( the Arkansas river connects with the Mississippi river which was a pentical of trade and prosperity during the 1800's. This allowed them to trade with the Europeans which helped them advance agriculturally and economically).

Why Rivers are so important to civilizations

The flag/symbol of the Cherokee nation is important because it has the date at which they signed their constitution and when the tribes formally came together for the benefit of all people. The seven pronged star represents an eternal flame that symbolizes that the nation will be forever prosperous.

This is the most infamous picture from the Trail of Tears and shows the hardships that went along with the long journey. The people only brought the necessities they could carry which resulted in them having to start over when they got to Oklahoma. Many people were injured or died on the trail, and leaving their sacred lands after hundreds of years hurt them immensely.

Important Pictures

KEY Red-Major Rivers connecting to the Arkansas River

Process for success

In the early days of settling in Oklahoma the Cherokee lived near little creeks and rivers. But within the first few months a hunter came across the Arkansas river that would sustain them forever.

The Cherokee relied on rivers/water for survival. This was the primary objective when entering the new lands of Oklahoma so they were always on the hunt for a sustainable river.

Step 2

Step 1

They were able to thrive on this river and to this day still have settlements on the "Great River" as well as the other two rivers that converge into the Arkansas river.

The Cherokee quickly moved and created permanent civilizations near the river due to their non-nomadic lifestyle and static settling.

Step 4

Process for Success

Step 3

Government

• Voting- Only Cherokee men over the age of 18 can vote.
• Bills-Even if a bill is vetoed by the Chief the legislature can vote again and if it gets more than 2/3rds the vote then the bill will be passed.
• Other peoples: Free Africans were allowed to live and marry other women in the Cherokee nation but were not allowed vote or hold public office.

The creation of a strong central government based off of the United States Constitution made the Cherokee successful in uniting the Cherokee people. The adoption of certain characteristics of the US Constitution allowed for a democratic system that maintained order as well as the well being of the Cherokee nation and its people.

• Separation of Powers (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

• Legislative- National committee and Council were the two legislative bodies. The representatives are chosen by the people and they vote on bills and acts that are presented to the two bodies.

• Executive/Principal Chief- has the power to veto bills, enforce strict interpretation of the law, and many emergency powers that can give most of the power to the Chief.

• Judicial- Supreme and Circuit courts where judges serve for four years. Powers/Duties: Speedy public trial, impartial jury, no search or seizures without warrant or probable cause, and can interpret and decline acts and laws.

The Cherokee Constitution created in 1839 consisted of:

Process for success

From 8000 BC to the Present

Tribes started creating villages and growing their food.1000-1500 AD

Cherokee occupied sothern appalachain mountains in 8000 BC

Cherokee start trading with English1629-1673 AD

Timeline

Distinct Cherokee language was made.1500 BC

Trail of Tears- moving of Natives from Georgia to Oklahoma which lead to thousands of deaths. 1838-1839 AD

Smallpox epidemic kills 25-50% of the Cherokee population1697-1738 AD

Creation of the Cherokee nation with the signing of their Constitution.September 9, 1839-Present

Indian Removal Act- removed natives to westward lands(mostly Oklahoma).1830-1933 AD

Main causes of death

• Illness( smallpox and common cold).
• Starvation( the large population had to scavenge for food along the way and feeding 18,000 people was very challenging).
• Injury( many people died from infected wounds and broken bones that disabled them from going on).

The near thousand mile trip in the winter of 1838 took the lives of four thousand Cherokee. The Trail of Tears killed nearly a fourth of the Cherokee's total population.

The Ohio River caused the Cherokee to take a detour north which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee.

Map of the Trail of Tears

The population of the Cherokee before European contact was around 50,000. After contact with the Europeans the smallpox disease killed more than half of the Cherokee getting the population under 20,000. The Trail of Tears killed off 4,000 more of the Cherokee and entered Oklahoma with only 14,000 people. The Golden Age allowed for economic and cultural prosperity and the population today is around 115,000 people. The Golden Age of the Cherokees(1849-1860) was a time of success and prosperity that allowed the population to rise as well as the standard of living after moving. This was a result of increase trading with Europeans and the peoples that survived the plagues of smallpox were all that were left so it no longer affected them.

Golden Age(1849-1860)

Population Graph of the Cherokee over 500 years

Bold equals important

• The environment they were forced into was the Prairie Grasslands of the Northeast regions of Oklahoma.

• Year the Cherokee Nation was established 1839 when the Constitution was published.

• 3 governmental bodies: Legislative (lawmakers), Executive (law enforcers), and Judicial (law judgers).

• Disease that killed most of the Cherokee- Smallpox

• Amount of people that died during the Trail of Tears-4000

• Percent of people that died from the Trail of Tears-

Although the forest dwelling Cherokee were forced to relocate in the late 1830’s to the arid Oklahoma environment they became successful due to them settling near large rivers and their creation of a strong central government.

• The area the Cherokee settled was on/near the Arkansas river which was vital in their survival.
• The four important reasons: Drinking water, Irrigation, Source of food, Travel.

• Importance of John Ross- He helped the Cherokee survive the Trail of Tears and then became the Principal Chief under the Constitution that he helped create. This made a democratic government.
• The strong central government as well as John Ross were the reasons for the Golden Age.

• The environment the Cherokee came from was the Appalachain Mountains and its surrounding Pine Forests.

overview

Good Luck

Hope you paid attention this short quiz will test your knowledge on all the important information

https://create.kahoot.it/share/geography-and-migration-project-cherokee/87fc453e-b7e0-4984-b027-18f5acfef36d

Quiz Time

Chavez, Will. “Map Shows CN Citizen Population for Each State.” Cherokeephoenix.org, Cherokee Phoenix, 29 Aug. 2018, https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/map-shows-cn-citizen-population-for-each-state/article_066ff0b8-0df3-536e-ab04-dead9dd33925.html. “Indian Removal.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html. “Osiyo!” Cherokee Nation Website, 24 May 2021, https://www.cherokee.org/. Pate, James P. “Cherokee Phoenix: The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.” Cherokee Phoenix | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CH022. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Cherokee.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cherokee-people. "Why did People Settle in River Valleys?" YouTube, uploaded by NEMSdanwilliams, 7 Aug, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CTd_2Lv4gw

Citations

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