Cherokee Nation History Quiz

The Cherokee Nation is one of three Native American nations recognized by the United States government. It has been continuously inhabited since around 850 A.D., making it among the longest continuous inhabitants of any place on Earth. An estimated 67,000 people are members of the tribe today. Historically, the Cherokee territory extended from western North Carolina through most of Oklahoma into Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and part of Virginia. The territory was located near the present boundaries of Georgia and the Carolinas.

The Cherokees were known as talented craftsmen who used tools made of stone, wood, bone, copper, and iron. They cultivated corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers, and they grew tobacco. Their housing consisted of round houses made out of wooden poles covered with bark. They also created pottery vessels using clay mixed with sand and tempered with crushed shells. In addition, they had portable shelters called tepees. The Cherokee society was organized fairly well and featured separate agricultural and warrior societies. Warriors could make up to 15 scalps during their lifetime. Moreover, the Cherokee religion included beliefs in supernatural beings like thunderbirds, which resembled eagles and could cause storms with lightning and thunder.

In terms of clothing, men wore breechclouts while women wrapped cloth tightly around them. Both sexes may have worn leather leggings, moccasins, and aprons. Women also wove blankets. At the time when Columbus discovered America, the Cherokee population numbered more than 100,000 individuals and occupied more extensive territories. However, after the Spanish conquest, some Cherokees migrated northward into the Great Lakes region where they encountered English traders. After the arrival of Europeans, the Cherokees traded deerskins, horses, pelts, and furs, and their numbers increased rapidly between 400 A.D. and 1800 A.D.. Some of these new settlers intermarried with the Cherokees.

By 1801, British traders began exploring the area along a trail now known as the Trail of Tears. By this point, thousands of Cherokees lived in the southeastern United States. When Andrew Jackson became President in 1829, he declared war against the Indians living east of the Mississippi River. Many Cherokees moved westward following the discovery of gold in Georgia. Between 1804 and 1836, white hunters killed millions of buffalo. As a result, many Indian tribes suffered greatly because their traditional diets depended heavily upon bison meat.

Today, remnants of ancient Cherokee culture continue to exist throughout the eastern United States. There are numerous artifacts found in museums connected with the Cherokee nation. Cherokee settlements spread over much of what is today northeast Georgia. Today, descendants of these early Cherokees still live in various localities across northern Georgia. Major portions of the land held by the Cherokees before European colonization remain under tribal control. For instance, in the late 19th century, the U.S. Congress gave allotments to individual Cherokees who agreed to move onto reservations established specifically for their benefit. These lands are currently controlled by several federal agencies.

Test your knowledge on the history of the Cherokee Nation, including their territory, culture, interactions with Europeans, and modern-day presence. Learn about their craftsmanship, agricultural practices, religion, clothing, and the impact of European colonization.