John Ross
1790-1866
John Ross was a chief of the Cherokees from 1828 to 1866. His father
was white and his mother was white and Cherokee. It was during the presidency
of Andrew Jackson that the effort to move the Cherokee from their eastern
homeland to Indian Territory, now called Oklahoma began in earnest.
Chief Ross tried to resist the pressure by appealing to the courts
but to no avail. In the winter of 1838 Chief Ross was forced to lead
his people to Indian Territory. Thousands of Cherokee died along the
way. This journey was called the "Trail of Tears".
NATIVE
AMERICAN RHYMES 
