Framing the Republic:

More than anyone else, Ross was responsible for remodeling the Cherokee tribal government into a miniature republic in 1820. Under the arrangement, the nation was divided into eight districts. Each was entitled to send four representatives to the Cherokee national legislature, which met at New Echota, the capital, near present-day Calhoun, Georgia. Meanwhile, Sequoyah had invented his alphabet, and overnight, the Cherokee became a literate race. This led, in 1828, to the adoption of a constitution predicated on the Cherokee assumption of sovereignty, development of a system of industries and home education, and establishment of a national press. This bold step drew the immediate wrath of authorities and people of Georgia and set off the first argument for state’s rights, with Georgia asking the United States government what it proposed to do about the “erection of a separate government within the limits of a sovereign state.” As the battle raged, Ross dreamed that one day a new star would be added to the flag of the United States and that it would stand for a state the like of which has not yet been received into the Union—an Indian state, the State of Cherokee. Instead, John Ross found himself spending most of his time in Washington fighting the removal of the Cherokee to the West. His knowledge of the writings of Jefferson enabled the Cherokee to present memorials of dignity and moving appeal to Congress. However, he lost the battle by one vote. Throughout the long hard battle, Ross’ people trusted him implicitly.

Honored for a Lifetime of Service:

After their arrival in the Indian Territory, Ross was chosen chief of the united Cherokee Nation and held that office until his death in Washington on August 1, 1866, at the age of 76. Upon learning of his death, the Cherokee Nation passed a memorial resolution that praised him as a man of moral conviction and selfless leadership, dedicated to the rule of law and the importance of education. The resolution also acknowledged his important place in the history of his people: “His works are inseparable from the history of the Cherokee people for nearly half a century, while his example in the daily walks of life will linger in the future and whisper words of hope, temperance, and charity in the years of posterity.” Resolutions were also passed for bringing his body from Washington at the expense of the Cherokee Nation and provided for suitable funeral rites and burial, in order “that his remains should rest among those he so long served.” He was buried at Park Hill, Oklahoma, his home, but there are descendants of John Ross living in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation in Western North Carolina.