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Ethan Mohr
Dr. Calvert
HIS 108
November 3, 2015
The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address to
the People of the United States
The author of this passage was the general Council of the Cherokee nation. This is very
important because it shows there was not just one person who believed this, it was a group of
people representing the whole nations opinion. The Cherokees and United States acted quite
peacefully while living next to each other for the most part. That is until the 1800s, which is
when it got a little out of hand. In the early eighteen-hundreds, the Cherokees land holding of
more than fifty million acres in 1802 dwindled to only nine million twenty years later.1
Then to make things worse, in 1824 the Supreme Court ruled that Indians could occupy land, but
not hold the title to it. Seeing that their land was in danger, the Cherokees restricted sale of their
land to government agents. They even went to the extent of establishing a police force to prevent
the sale of Cherokee land.2
Jacksons election in 1828 caused more emphasis to be put on the relocation of the Indians to the
west of the Mississippi. Jackson argued to congress that the Indians were doomed anyways so
they mine as well remove them in 1829. He later said that state laws should prevail over the
1 Gary Nash, The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, (Prentice Hall, 2011), 1.
2 IBID

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claims of either the Indians or the federal government.3 This was troublesome for the Cherokees
because in 1830 Georgia legislature declared the Cherokee tribal council illegal ad claimed
jurisdiction over both the tribe and its lands. The Cherokees were forbidden to bring suits or
testify against whites in the Georgia courts.4
In desperation the Cherokees had to write to the American people. They tried to get their
attention with what was happening to their tribe and who was affected by the Americans actions.
The Cherokees make their opinion of this situation clear through their letter when they say we
are aware that some persons suppose it will be for our advantage to remove beyond the
Mississippi. We think otherwise. Our people universally think otherwise.5 The Cherokees were
saying, even in a respective manor, that the Cherokees do not think that leaving would be in their
best interest and it should not be confused that they do want to leave their land. This is why the
Cherokees wrote this letter, to try and convince enough people to let them stay on their own land.
If this was not enough to convince you, they go on and keep trying to convince the American
people through logic. They try to convince from emotion and character as well. The Cherokee
Council said It is incredible that Georgia should ever have enacted the oppressive laws to which
reference is here made, unless she had supposed that something extremely terrific in its character
is necessary, in order to make the Cherokees willing to remove.6 This is again another way the
Cherokees tried to convince the American people. They said moving the Cherokees with force
3 Gary Nash, The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, (Prentice Hall, 2011), 1.
4 IBID
5 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address to

the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228
6 IBID

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was an awful thing to do, and they better have a super important reason for doing it because they
are effecting everyones life in the Cherokee nation.
Later, in 1832, the Cherokees protested to the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Marshall supported
the Cherokees in the court case of Worcestor vs. Georgia, saying that State laws could have no
force over the Cherokees. Legal victory did not suppress white land hunger. With Jacksons
blessing, Georgia defied the Court ruling. By 1835, harassment, intimidation, and bribery had
persuaded ta minority of chiefs to sign a removal treaty. That year, Jackson informed the
Cherokee, You cannot remain where you are. Circumstancesrender it impossible that you can
flourish in the midst of a civilized community. But most of the Cherokee refused to leave. Chief
John Ross protested to Congress that the treaty was illegitimate. His words did no good. In 1837
and 1838, the US army gathered the terrified Indians in stockades before herding them west to
the Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma. The removal cost six million dollars to the
Cherokees and one fourth of the fifteen thousand Cherokees did not make the travel.7 These
courses of events were nicknamed the trail of tears.
The overall message of this document was quite simple and to the point, that the Cherokee
people do not want to move from their own land where their ancestors lived and do not see a
reason why they should have to leave. This can be seen when the Cherokee council says we
wish to remain on the land of our fathers. We have a perfect and original right to claim this,
without interruption or molestation.8 This can be seen as the overall opinion of the Cherokee
nation because historian Anthony M. Massad explains how no business shall be conducted by
7 Gary Nash, The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, (Prentice Hall, 2011), 1.
8 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address to

the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228

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the Council unless at least two thirds of the members shall be in attendance.9 The Cherokees
point out that the treaties with us, and the laws of the United States made in pursuance of
treaties, guaranty our residence, and our privileges, and secure us against intruders. Our only
request is, that these treaties may be fulfilled, and these laws executed.10 They are saying that
the United States promised them all of these things stated above but are now kicking them off of
their rightful land. They are pretty much saying if they get kicked off their land then the United
States word is not true.
The Cherokees later go off about how they will not be safe from outside invaders if they are
forced to move. They insult the other Indian tribes and describe the land they would be moving
onto when they say The far greater part of that region is, beyond all controversy, badly supplied
with wood and water; and no Indian tribe can live as agriculturists without these articles. All our
neighbors, in case of our removal, though crowded into our near vicinity, would speak a
language totally different from ours, and practice different customs. The original possessors of
that region are now wandering savages, lurking for prey in the neighborhood. They have always
been at war, and would be easily tempted to turn their arms against peaceful emigrants.11 The
Cherokees are nicely saying that their tribe would not be safe surrounding the other Indian tribes
of the area and also that the area is poorly equipped with supply to survive and flourish as a
nation. This is especially important for one that wants to flourish agriculturally.

9 Anthony M. Massad, The Massad Commission Report to the Tribal Council of the Cherokee

Nation,(University of Oklahoma College of Law,1998/1999), 375-408, 23

10 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address

to the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228
11 IBID

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The last part of this document calls out the United States in multiple ways. The council says
when a whole community, embracing persons of all classes and every description, from the
infant to the man of extreme old age, the sick, the blind, the lame, the improvident, the reckless,
the desperate, as well as the prudent, the considerate, the industrious, are compelled to remove
by odious and intolerable vexations and persecutions, brought upon them in the form of law,
when all will agree only in this, that they have been cruelly robbed of their country, in violation
of the most solemn compacts which it is possible for communities to form with each other; and
that, if they should make themselves comfortable in their residence, they have nothing to expect
hereafter but to be the victims of a future legalized robbery!12 This explains how one hundred
percent of people cannot agree on everything a nation has to offer but everyone can agree that the
Cherokees are being robbed of their land. They are saying it is just a form of a legal robbery.
This means it is a robbery which nobody will get in trouble for their wrong doing because there
was a fake non valid document created.
James Monroe, in The Monroe Doctrine presents a differing view point from The General
Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address to the People of
the United States. President Monroe was saying how the United States will intervene with other
countries if they try and take any land in North or South America. He said It is impossible that
the allied powers should extend their political system to any portion of either continent without
endangering our peace and happiness.13 President Monroe is saying that if a European power
tries to colonize in North or South America then that would endanger the US and would be
considered an act of aggression against the US. This is the opposite of the Cherokees situation
12 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address

to the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228
13 James Monroe, The Monroe Doctrine (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 217-218

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because the United States is on the offensive of the situation and say they would be getting
endangered by colonization but in reality they were never in danger. The Appeal of the Cherokee
Nation is a reaction from hearing an order from the US congress kicking the Cherokee people out
of their land in the near future. President Monroe was saying how things would go down if a
European power were to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere14 and he had his
own choice to say that, as the Cherokee people were pleading for innocence and saying how an
action is wrong.
I think the General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address
to the People of the United States and Remonstrance to the President and Council of
Pennsylvania are very alike in many ways. Both are asking and trying to convince people to
change an act of unjust government. Pemberton in Remonstrance to the President and Council of
Pennsylvania writes the orders appear to be arbitrary, as you have assumed an authority not
founded on law or reason.15 He is writing about how there is no reason which should keep him
in the Freemasons lodge. This is very similar to the Cherokees because they write how the new
scenery of new land would have neither the scenes of our childhood, nor the graves of our
fathers.16 This explains the same thing, that there is no logic for why the Cherokees should have
to leave their land. Towards the end of both letters, both parties go on and say what they truly
think after they unravel their feelings. Pemberton later says how the act is illegal, is evident
from the perusal and consideration of the constitution of government from which you derive all
14 James Monroe, The Monroe Doctrine, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 217-218
15 Israel Pemberton, John Hunt, and Samuel Pleasants, Remonstrance to the President and

Council of Pennsylvania, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 155

16 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address

to the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228

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your authority and power.17 This can be compared when the Cherokee council said how they
have nothing to expect hereafter but to be the victims of a future legalized robbery!18
In Selections from Democracy in America it has a theme of individuality and how men should
have their own opinions and should avoid selfishness. Alexis de Tocqueville writes
individualism is a novel expression, to which a novel idea has given birth. Our fathers were
only acquainted with egoism.19 He is saying that the founding fathers were only thinking about
themselves and what they thought would be best for the whole nation. This can be compared to
the Appeal of the Cherokee Nation when the Cherokee council says the removal of families to a
new country, even under the most favorable auspices, and when the spirits are sustained by
pleasing visions of the future, is attended with much depression of mind and sinking heart.20
This too, can be seen as selfish from an outsiders view. So in all, both talk about the US
government as being selfish.
The historical significance of The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the
Cherokee Nation: An Address to the People of the United States was that the people of America
were informed what they were doing and who it was affecting. It made the US think about their
decision and make sure they really wanted to take the Cherokees land from them. It started and

17 Israel Pemberton, John Hunt, and Samuel Pleasants, Remonstrance to the President and

Council of Pennsylvania, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 155

18 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address

to the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228
19 Alexis de Tocqueville, Selections from Democracy in America (New York: McGraw-Hill,

2015), 225
20 The General Council of the Cherokee Nation, Appeal of the Cherokee Nation: An Address

to the People of the United States, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015), 228

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continued a trend of racism in the US. Historian and author Arnold Krupat compared the
rounding up of Cherokees and moving them into a certain area after this letter was written to
Hitler and the Jews being rounded up into concentration camps.21 This racism has been evident
through this conflict and all throughout history to this very day.

21 Arnold Krupat, Representing Cherokee Dispossession, (University of Nebraska Press,

2005), 16-41, 17.