Timeline of the Cherokee Nation
Chapter 6: A Nation Divided (1861–1865) Civil War and Internal Division 1861 – Cherokee Nation splits in allegiance between Union and Confederacy. 1861–1865 : American Civil War, the Cherokee Nation is divided, with factions supporting the Union and the Confederacy. 1862–1864 – Civil War battles devastate Cherokee lands and communities. 1865 – Civil War ends, leaving the Nation politically and economically fractured. Chapter 7: Reconstruction Through Ashes (1865–1887) Rebuilding, Leadership, and Self-Determination 1866 – Treaty with the United States forces land concessions and political changes. 1866 : Post-war treaty requires the Cherokee Nation to emancipate slaves and grant them citizenship within the tribe. 1870s – Cherokee leaders work to reunify the Nation and rebuild governance. 1880s – Increasing federal interference weakens Tribal authority despite rebuilding efforts. 1887 : Dawes Act is enacted, leading to the allotment of tribal lands to individual members and the sale of surplus lands to non-Native settlers. Chapter 8: Assault on Nationhood (1876–1907) Allotment and Assimilation 1887 – Dawes Act passed, initiating allotment of Tribal lands. 1893 – Dawes Commission established to enroll Cherokee citizens. 1898 – Curtis Act dissolves Tribal courts and governments. 1907 : Oklahoma achieves statehood; the U.S. government dissolves the Cherokee Nation's governmental structures. Cherokee governance is largely dismantled. 1910s–1920s – Cultural traditions and identity preserved through families and communities. 1934 – Indian Reorganization Act passed (limited impact for Cherokee Nation at this time). Chapter 10: A Glimmer of Hope for Rebuilding (1935–1997) Sovereignty and Self-Determination 1938 – Cherokee Nation begins steps toward reorganizing leadership structures. 1970 – U.S. policy shifts toward Tribal self-determination. 1971 : Cherokee Nation reorganizes its government and holds its first tribal elections since dissolution. 1975 – Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act passed. 1976 – Cherokee Nation ratifies a new constitution. 1985 : Wilma Mankiller becomes the first woman elected as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, initiating significant advancements in healthcare, education, and tribal governance. 1990s – Expansion of Cherokee government services and institutions. Chapter 11: Self-Determination – The Cherokee Way The Cherokee Nation Today 1999 – Cherokee Nation adopts a modern constitution. 2007 : Cherokee Nation amends its constitution to limit citizenship to individuals who can prove direct descent from ancestors listed as "Cherokee by blood" on the Dawes Roll, excluding many descendants of freedmen. 2011 : Cherokee Nation Tribal District Court rules that the 2007 constitutional amendment violates the 1866 treaty, affirming the citizenship rights of freedmen descendants. 2000s–Present – Growth in education, healthcare, language revitalization, and governance. Today – Cherokee Nation operates as a sovereign government serving hundreds of thousands of citizens. Chapter 9: Adrift in a Sea of Survival (1907–1935) Survival Without Formal Tribal Self-Governance 1907–1930s – Cherokee Nation lacks formal governmental authority.
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