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New Echota was the capital of the
Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...
in the Southeast United States from 1825 until their forced removal in the late 1830s. New Echota is located in present-day Gordon County, in northwest Georgia, 3.68 miles north of
Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia *Calhoun, Illinois * Calhoun, Kansas * Calhoun, Kentuc ...
. It is south of Resaca, next to present day
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, known to the Cherokee as ''Ustanali''. The site has been preserved as a state park and a historic site. It was designated in 1973 as a
National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
. The site is at the confluence of the Coosawattee and Conasauga rivers, which join to form the
Oostanaula River The Oostanaula River (pronounced "oo-stuh-NA-luh") is a principal tributary of the Coosa River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 27, 2011 formed by the ...
, a tributary of the
Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 ...
. It is near Town Creek. Archeological evidence has shown that the site of New Echota had been occupied by ancient indigenous cultures for thousands of years prior to the historic Cherokee Native Americans. It was known as ''Gansagiyi'' or ''Gansagi''. The Cherokee renamed it as New Echota in 1825 after making it the capital, in honor of their former chief town of Chota, based along the lower
Little Tennessee River The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River that flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, into North Carolina, and then into Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It drains portio ...
as one of the Overhill Towns on the west side of the Appalachian Mountains.


History

Prior to relocating to Gansagi and building the community of New Echota, the Cherokee had used the nearby town of ''Ustanali'' on the
Coosawattee River The Coosawattee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 river located in northwestern Georgia, United States. Description The river is noted as beg ...
as the seat of their tribe, beginning in 1788. They had migrated south from eastern Tennessee and western South Carolina under pressure from European-American settlement. Ustanali had been established in 1777 by refugees from the Cherokee Lower Towns in northwestern South Carolina. In that year,
Old Tassel Old Tassel Reyetaeh (sometimes Corntassel) (Cherokee language: ''Utsi'dsata''), (died 1788), was "First Beloved Man" (the equivalent of a regional Cherokee chief) of the Overhill Cherokee after 1783, when the United States gained independence from ...
and several other Cherokee leaders were murdered by whites while under the flag of truce, while visiting representatives of the short-lived
State of Franklin The State of Franklin (also the Free Republic of Franklin or the State of Frankland)Landrum, refers to the proposed state as "the proposed republic of Franklin; while Wheeler has it as ''Frankland''." In ''That's Not in My American History Boo ...
in present-day Tennessee. In response, warriors across the frontier increased attacks on European-American settlers. The
Chickamauga Cherokee The Chickamauga Cherokee refers to a group that separated from the greater body of the Cherokee during the American Revolutionary War. The majority of the Cherokee people wished to make peace with the Americans near the end of 1776, following se ...
, a band led by
Dragging Canoe Dragging Canoe (ᏥᏳ ᎦᏅᏏᏂ, pronounced ''Tsiyu Gansini'', "he is dragging his canoe") (c. 1738 – February 29, 1792) was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee warriors who resisted colonists and United States settlers in the ...
, were already carrying out armed resistance to European-American settlement along the Holston River in northeastern Tennessee. Following the murders, Little Turkey was elected a chief of the Cherokee, although they did not have a centralized form of government. The
Overhill Cherokee Overhill Cherokee was the term for the Cherokee people located in their historic settlements in what is now the U.S. state of Tennessee in the Southeastern United States, on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. This name was used by 1 ...
moved the seat of the Cherokee council from '' Chota'' to Ustanali. New Echota was named after Chota, the former capital of the
Overhill Cherokee Overhill Cherokee was the term for the Cherokee people located in their historic settlements in what is now the U.S. state of Tennessee in the Southeastern United States, on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. This name was used by 1 ...
, those who lived to the west of the Appalachian Mountains and had previously had numerous towns along the lower Little Tennessee River. A common English name for New Echota was "Newtown" or "New Town." These names are still used for the area around the State Park. Later Anglo-American settlers called the area "The Fork" and "Fork Ferry" because of early transportation at the confluence of the rivers. By 1819 the government of the Cherokee Nation was meeting in New Echota. On November 12, 1825, the Cherokee Nation officially designated New Echota as their capital. They had organized a council, and supreme court to adjudicate their justice issues. The tribal council began a building program that included construction of a two-story Council House, and a Supreme Court. Later they built the office (printer shop) for the ''
Cherokee Phoenix The ''Cherokee Phoenix'' ( chr, ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ, translit=Tsalagi Tsulehisanvhi) is the first newspaper published by Native Americans in the United States and the first published in a Native American language. The first issue was pu ...
,'' the first Indian-language and Cherokee newspaper.
Elias Boudinot Elias Boudinot ( ; May 2, 1740 – October 24, 1821) was a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress (more accurately referred to as the Congress of the Confederation) and served as Presiden ...
was the chief writer and editor.
Samuel Worcester Samuel Austin Worcester (January 19, 1798 – April 20, 1859), was an American missionary to the Cherokee, translator of the Bible, printer, and defender of the Cherokee sovereignty. He collaborated with Elias Boudinot (Cherokee) in Georgia to ...
, a missionary and printer, laid out the first Native American newspaper. Boudinot wrote it in both English and Cherokee, using for the latter the new syllabary created in 1820 by
Sequoyah Sequoyah (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ᏍᏏᏉᏯ, ''Ssiquoya'', or ᏎᏉᏯ, ''Se-quo-ya''; 1770 – August 1843), also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American polymath of the Ch ...
, with type cast by Worcester. Private homes, stores, a ferry, and mission station were built in the outlying area of New Echota. The town was quiet most of the year, but Cherokee Council meetings provided the opportunity for great social gatherings. During these meetings, the town filled with several hundred Cherokee, who arrived by foot, horseback, or in stylish carriages. In 1832, after Congressional passage of the
Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...
, Georgia included Cherokee territory in its Sixth Land Lottery, allocating Cherokee land to European-American (
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
) settlers. But the Cherokee Nation had never ceded the land to the state. Although the US Supreme Court upheld the Cherokee right to their land, Georgia continued to press for them to cede it. Over the next six years, the Georgia Guard operated against the Cherokee, evicting them from their properties. By 1834, New Echota was becoming a ghost town. Council meetings were moved to Red Clay, Cherokee Nation (now Tennessee). The United States urged the Cherokee to remove to Indian Territory, offering lands in exchange for their lands in Georgia. On December 29, 1835, a small group of Cherokee (100–500 Cherokee known as Ridgeites or the Treaty Party, who represented a minority of Cherokee) signed the
Treaty of New Echota The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia, by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, the Treaty Party. The treaty established terms ...
in the home of Elias Boudinot. Signers included
Major Ridge Major Ridge, The Ridge (and sometimes Pathkiller II) (c. 1771 – 22 June 1839) (also known as ''Nunnehidihi'', and later ''Ganundalegi'') was a Cherokee leader, a member of the tribal council, and a lawmaker. As a warrior, he fought in the ...
,
John Ridge John Ridge, born ''Skah-tle-loh-skee'' (ᏍᎦᏞᎶᏍᎩ, Yellow Bird) ( – 22 June 1839), was from a prominent family of the Cherokee Nation, then located in present-day Georgia. He went to Cornwall, Connecticut, to study at the Foreign Mis ...
, and Andrew Ross, a brother of John Ross, the principal chief. Believing that the negotiation would allow them to preserve some rights for the Cherokee, they agreed to cede their remaining lands and to removal in exchange for lands west of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. The Cherokee were to have sovereignty in that western territory, to be known as
Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
. Despite objections from John Ross, who represented the large majority of Cherokee to the US government, the Senate ratified the treaty. The US government eventually forced most of the Cherokee out of the Southeast. In 1838 the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
, under the command of
Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
, began the forced removal of Cherokee from the state of Georgia. A Cherokee
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
was located at New Echota, called Fort Wool. This held Cherokee from
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...
and Pickens counties until their removal. As the first group of Cherokee began their
exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...
to
Rattlesnake Springs Rattlesnake Springs is a historic site in Bradley County, Tennessee listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1975. History Rattlesnake Springs is located northeast of Cleveland and southeast of Charleston on a privately own ...
, Cherokee Nation (4 miles south of
Charleston, Tennessee Charleston is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 664 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The land now occupied by Charleston and Bradley County was home t ...
), the Cherokee from counties south and east of the area also were housed here.


New Echota Historic Site

After the Cherokee were fully removed in 1838, their capital remained abandoned for more than 100 years. Many of the structures disappeared, though some of the houses continued to be used. Most notable was the house of
Samuel Worcester Samuel Austin Worcester (January 19, 1798 – April 20, 1859), was an American missionary to the Cherokee, translator of the Bible, printer, and defender of the Cherokee sovereignty. He collaborated with Elias Boudinot (Cherokee) in Georgia to ...
, who was called "the Messenger," and who had served as a missionary to the Cherokee. When its landowners deeded land to be commissioned to the state for preservation, the Worcester House, the largest remaining structure, had been vacant for two years. It had deteriorated in that time. From 1930 to 1950, the site was designated by Congress as the New Echota Marker National Memorial. In March 1954, the
archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts ...
Lewis Larsen from the
Georgia Historical Commission The Georgia Historical Commission was an organization created by the U.S. state of Georgia for purposes of historic preservation. The Georgia legislature created it in February 1951 to promote and increase knowledge and understanding of the hist ...
, and five associates were assigned to oversee the work of excavating New Echota. The team uncovered evidence not only of the Cherokee settlement in New Echota, but also of much earlier indigenous cultures. They asked the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
archeologist Joe Caldwell and two more workers to join them for the next two months as they continued excavation. The group recovered a Spanish coin dated 1802,
crockery Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variety and number of obj ...
, household wares, bootery remains, a small quantity of lead, and 1700 other artifacts. They identified 600 items as having belonged to the Cherokee. In addition to the standard finds and remains of many buildings, Larsen and Caldwell astonished the world by discovering much of the type syllabary that was once used to print the ''Cherokee Phoenix''. On March 13, 1957, following the news of these archeological finds, the State of Georgia authorized reconstruction of the town of New Echota as a state park. They reconstructed such buildings as the Council House, the Supreme Court, the printer shop, a building of the ''Cherokee Phoenix'', a common Cherokee cabin representing a home of an average family, and a middle-class Cherokee home, including outbuildings. Vann's Tavern, which had been owned by Chief James Vann, was restored. Modern nails and replacement wooden parts were used. It was relocated to this site from
Forsyth County, Georgia Forsyth County ( or ) is a County (United States), county in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Suburban and exurban in character, Forsyth County lies within the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. The county ...
(Chief Vann had owned 14 taverns across the state of Georgia), as the original New Echota Vann Tavern had been destroyed. The park contains the site of the former Elias Boudinot house, which serves as a memorial to Boudinot. The Worcester House was restored to its 19th-century condition. Together the buildings of the complex form an open-air museum. Other sites are not open to the public, as they are now on private property. Across from the New Echota park are two farmhouse sites of that era, formerly owned by white men who had married Cherokee women. These sites are now part of an
Elks Club The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...
golf course. The New Echota Historical Park was opened to the public in 1962. Inside the office of the ''Cherokee Phoenix'' were displayed 600 pieces of type which had been used for the first American Indian newspaper. Later some type was moved to the museum and research facility that was built by the park. The Newtown Trail is a 1.2 mile interpreted trail that takes tourists to Town Creek (inside the center of New Echota). This is the area where the majority of Cherokee would camp when the Council was in session. In 1973, the
Department of Natural Resources This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies with a variety of titles and responsibilities are included, e.g. Department of Environment, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of E ...
, also known as Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, took over New Echota Park. It continues to operate and maintain this historic site. The site was designated in 1973 by the US Department of Interior as a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
, the highest recognition in the United States. On February 10, 2019 the New Echota Historic Site was added to the
Parks On The Air Parks On The Air (POTA) is an amateur radio operating award program started in 2010 with its nonprofit organization being founded in 2018 that encourages amateur radio operators to operate in a variety of parks and public lands as a portable stati ...
program to create awareness of this historic site. File:Cherokee Monument, New Echota, July 2017.jpg, The monument on New Echota Historic Site honors those
Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
who died on the
Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...
. File:19-35-153-echota.jpg, Detail of inscription on monument File:19-35-135-echota.jpg, Historical marker File:19-35-094-echota.jpg, Reconstruction of Supreme Court


See also

*
Treaty of New Echota The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia, by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, the Treaty Party. The treaty established terms ...
*
Cherokee removal Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of their slaves; from their lands in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carol ...
*
Sequoyah Sequoyah (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ᏍᏏᏉᏯ, ''Ssiquoya'', or ᏎᏉᏯ, ''Se-quo-ya''; 1770 – August 1843), also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American polymath of the Ch ...
* Chieftains Museum (Major Ridge Home) *
Funk Heritage Center The Funk Heritage Center in Waleska, Georgia, is Georgia's official frontier and southeastern Indian interpretive center. Located on the campus of Reinhardt University, the center houses a gallery of Native American artifacts and artwork, as wel ...
* List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state) *
List of Georgia state parks This is a list of state parks in Georgia. The park system of the US state of Georgia was founded in 1931 with Indian Springs State Park and Vogel State Park. Indian Springs has been operated by the state as a public park since 1825, making it ...
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Gordon County, Georgia


Notes


References

*Mooney, James. ''Myths of the Cherokee,'' 1900, reprinted 1995.


External links


New Echota Historic Site
official site

North Georgia


New Echota Cherokee National Capital
historical marker
New Echota Cemetery
historical marker
New Echota Ferry
historical marker
Video of the site by a member of the Cherokee Nation
from 2016
New Echota Historic Site
Parks on The Air {{authority control Cherokee towns State parks of Georgia (U.S. state) State parks of the Appalachians Protected areas of Gordon County, Georgia National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state) Open-air museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Native American museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Cherokee Nation (1794–1907) Museums in Gordon County, Georgia Protected areas established in 1970 Trail of Tears History of Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Gordon County, Georgia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)