New Echota Historic Site

1
New Echota Historic Site

• A Virtual Tour of New Echota
• Capitol of the Cherokee Nation from 1825 - 1838

2
Cherokee Indian Memorial
Erected in honor of the Cherokee Nation by the
United States Government in 1954, on the site of
New Echota, last capital of the Cherokee Indians
east of the Mississippi River. The Cherokee
Nation, composed of twenty thousand people,
occupied territory in Alabama, Georgia, North
Carolina and Tennessee. It was recognized by the
Supreme Court of the United States as an
independent community and was the only group of
American Indians to adopt a republican form of
government based on a written constitution. John
Ross was elected principal chief. Under the
influence of Moravian missionaries, the Cherokee
became Christianized and attained a high degree
of civilization.
3
New Echota s Beginning

• In the early 19th century, the Cherokee Nation
  rejected the traditional clan system of rule and
  adopted a government similar to the United
  States.
• The nation was divided into 8 districts and a
  legislature established to make laws and approve
  treaties.
• Four delegates from each district were elected to
  the lower house called the National Council.
• This body chose the 12 members of the upper house
  called the National Committee.
• The National Committee selected the top level
  officers the principal chief, assistant
  principal chief, and treasurer.

4
8 Districts of the Cherokee Nation

• Hickory Log
• Chattoogee
• Etowah
• Aquohee

• Chicamaugee
• Amoah
• Tahquohee
• Coosewatee

5
The Capitol Is Born

• During the fall of 1819, the council held
  meetings in Newtown, located at the junction of
  the Coosawattee and Conasauga Rivers in
  present-day Gordon County near Calhoun, Georgia.
• On November 12, 1825, the council adopted a
  resolution making Newtown the Cherokee Nations
  capitol.
• The name was changed to New Echota in honor of
  Chota, a cherished Cherokee town in present-day
  Tennessee.

6
The Town of New Echota
Replica of the Supreme Court Building

• New Echota was planned and laid out by Cherokee
  surveyors.
• The Supreme Court and Council House dominated the
  center of the 60 foot wide main street, and 2
  acre town square.

Replica of the Council House
7
The Cherokee Phoenix

• A notable achievement of the Cherokee Nation was
  publication of the first American Indian
  newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix.
• In 1826, the Council approved the construction of
  a printing office to be built in the center of
  town.
• The press used type cast in the Cherokee alphabet
  invented by Sequoyah.

Replica of Cherokee Phoenix printing office and
press
8
New Echota Grows

• By 1830, the town had 50 residents.
• Private homes, stores, and a mission were
  scattered around the outlying area.

Replica of typical middle class home
9
Worcester House

• Samuel Worcester, a young minister assigned to
  New Echota, built this house in 1828.
• Worcester secured the funding to help establish
  the Cherokee Phoenix.
• He was imprisoned in 1832 for helping the
  Cherokee and in 1835, he moved to Oklahoma to
  prepare for the coming of the displaced Cherokee
  people.
• This is the only original building left in New
  Echota.

10
Vanns Tavern

• Built in 1805, the tavern, served as a general
  store, inn, and tavern for the residents of New
  Echota.
• It is a rough-hewn log building, representative
  of the Indian taverns of the time.
• The sign shows prices for products available and
  goods sold at the tavern.

11
The End of New Echota
When the Cherokee were forced to leave, the town
was abandoned and New Echota disappeared into the
dust of time.
The New Echota Treaty of 1835 relinquished
Cherokee Indian claims to lands east of the
Mississippi River. The majority of the Cherokee
people considered the treaty fraudulent and
refused to leave their homelands in Georgia,
Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee. 7,000
Federal and State troops were ordered into the
Cherokee Nation to forcibly evict the Indians.
On May 26, 1838, the roundup began. Over 15,000
Cherokee were forced from their homes at gunpoint
and imprisoned in stockades until removal to the
west could take place. 2,700 left by boat in
June, 1838, but due to many deaths and sickness,
removal was suspended until cooler weather. Most
of the remaining 13,000 Cherokee left by wagon,
horseback, or on foot during October and
November, 1838, on an 800 mile route through
Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and
Arkansas. They arrived in what is now eastern
Oklahoma during January, February and March,
1839. Disease, exposure, and starvation may have
claimed as many as 4,000 Cherokee lives during
the course of capture, imprisonment and removal.
The ordeal has become known as the Trail of
Tears.
12
Nuna dat shunyi Trail Where They Cried
We are now about to take our final 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 the land of our Nation, and it is
with sorrow that we are forced by the authority
of the white man to quit the scenes of our
childhood. George Hicks
Pangs of parting are tearing the hearts of our
bravest men at this forced abandonment of their
dear lovd country William Shorey Coodey
Whole Indian Nations have melted away like
snowballs in the sun before the white mans
advance Chief Dragging Canoe