the town of Prairie du Chien on June 26. Three
days later, the warriors strike a boat crew on the
Mississippi and murder two more men.
After the U.S. government threatens to conduct
an all-out war against the Winnebago, Red Bird de-
cides on September 27 to surrender to protect his
tribe. Initially, Red Bird is sentenced to death, but
largely because whites are impressed by his personal
dignity, he is sent to jail instead.
July
The Cherokee adopt a written constitution.
With the encouragement of federal officials, the
members of the Cherokee Council draft a consti-
tution modeled on that of the United States. The
document maintains that the Cherokee Nation is
“sovereign and independent,” a phrase that alarms
authorities in Georgia, who are trying to strip the
Cherokee of their autonomy and thus pave the way
for their tribe’s removal from the state (see entry for
1828).
1828John Ross becomes the principal chief of
the Cherokee.
Following the death of conservative Cherokee
leader Pathkiller, tribe members elect John Ross as
their new principal chief. He is the first person to
hold this position chosen under the terms of the
Cherokee’s new constitution (see entry for JULY
1827). A prosperous merchant and a slave owner,
Ross is committed to continuing Pathkiller’s efforts
to maintain Cherokee sovereignty. Serving as prin-
cipal chief for more than 40 years, he will serve as
an influential leader during the most tumultuous
period of Cherokee history.
Georgia extends legal jurisdiction over
the Cherokee.
The legislature of Georgia passes a series of
laws that places the Cherokee under its legal ju-
risdiction, abolishes the powers of their tribal
government, and bans Cherokee from testifying
against citizens of Georgia in court. The action,
which completely disregards the Cherokee’s status
as a sovereign nation, is meant to intimidate the
tribe and increase the pressure on it to relocate to
the West. The legality of the legislature’s measures
will be tested in several landmark Supreme Court
cases (see entries for 1831 and 1832).Stanislaus leads a revolt at the Santa Clara
and San Jose missions.
Seemingly a model Indian convert, Stanislaus es-
capes from San Jose Mission, where he has lived
since childhood. With Cipriano, another disgrun-
tled neophyte, he organizes a rebellion against the
Spanish priests at San Jose and Santa Clara. Re-
sponding to the priests’ appeal for help, a small
Mexican army is sent out to fight the Indians but
is defeated by the rebels in battle. Two more mili-
tary campaigns are launched against Stanislaus’s
followers before they are finally subdued the fol-
lowing year. Stanislaus escapes to the San Jose
mission, where he is given sanctuary. Later, after
returning to his life as a mission Indian, he will be
pardoned by Spanish authorities.February 21The Cherokee Phoenix begins publication.
With $1,500 authorized by the Cherokee gov-
ernment to buy a press and type fonts, a young
northern-educated Cherokee, Elias Boudinot, be-
gins publishing the Cherokee Phoenix—the first
newspaper published by Indians. The articles are
printed in English and in Cherokee using Sequoyah’s
syllabary (see entry for 1821). The first issue fea-
tures an editorial by Boudinot criticizing whites for
coveting Cherokee land, and an appreciation of the
Cherokee syllabary by Samuel Worcester, a mis-
sionary who had lent considerable support to the
establishment of the newspaper.
The Phoenix will become the Cherokee’s
most powerful tool for presenting to the world
their opposition to white encroachment on their
lands. As whites become more aggressive in their