CHICKASAW INDIANS IN TENNESSEE

THE CHICKASAW ARE NATIVE AMERICANS ORIGINALLY FROM MISSISSIPPI,ALABAMA, AND TENNESSEE. THEY SPEAK MUSKOGEAN. THEY ARE FEDERALLY ENROLLED. PRIOR TO EUROPEAN CONTACT, THE CHICKASAW MOVED OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE CHICKASAW ARE ONE IN FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES WHO WERE FORCED TO SELL THEIR TERRITORY IN 1832 AND MOVED TO OKLAHOMA . TODAY THEY ARE THE 13TH FEDERALLY REGULATED TRIBES IN THE U.S., CHICKASAW MEANS REBELS. THEIR HISTORY IS UNCERTAIN. THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DESCENDANTS OF PREHISTORIC MISSISSIPI CULTURE. THE ORAL HISTORY SUPPORTS THIS AND THEY MOVED ALONG WITH THE CHOCTAW WEST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN PREHISTORIC TIMES.

HERNANDO DE SOTO IN 1540 FIRST ENCOUNTERED THEM AT TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI. THE CHICKASAW ALLOTTED THEM NEARLY DESTROYING THE EXPEDITION THE CHICKASAW TRADED WITH THE BRITISH AFTER THE COLONY OF CAROLINA WAS FOUNDED. THE CHICKASAW WERE OFTEN AT WAR WITH FRENCH AND CHOCTAW. BY 1736 THE BRITISH DEFEATED THEM.

IN 1793 THE CHICKASAW FOUGHT UNDER GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE AGAINST INDIANS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORY. THEY WERE DEFEATED.

WASHINGTON AND GENERAL KNOX WANTED TO TRANSFORM THE NATIVES TO AN AMERICAN SOCIETY. THEY WANTED THEM TO BUILD HOMES, FARMS, AND EDUCATE CHILDREN, EMBRACE CHRISTIANITY SO THEIR GROUPS WOULD IMPROVE THEIR SOCIETY. THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTED AGENTS TO LIVE AMONG INDIANS AND TEACH THROUGH EXAMPLE HOW TO LIVE LIKE WHITES. THE CHICKASAWS DID ACCEPT WASHINGTON'S POLICY AND ESTABLISHED SCHOOLS AND FARMED AND CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY AND BUILT HOMES LIKE THEIRS. THEY SIGNED THE TREATY OF HOPEWELL IN 1786 SO THAT THE CHICKASAWS AND ANGLOS COULD SHARE PEACE.

A SCOTTISH TRADER SETTLED HERE AND MARRIED THREE CHICKASAW WOMEN IN HIS LIFE. HE HAD SEVEN SONS. THIS FAMILY WAS IMPORTANT IN TRIBAL CIVIC SERVICE AND CREATED A GOVERNMENT FOUNDATION FOR THE CHICKASAW NATION IN OKLAHOMA.

DURING THE REMOVAL ERA THEY WERE TO RECEIVE 3 MILLION DOLLARS FOR LANDS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS MONEY WENT UNPAID FOR 30 YEARS, THEY PURCHASED LAND FROM THE CHOCTAWS. IN 1847 THEY MET AT MEMPHIS WITH ALL THEIR BELONGINGS DURING THE REMOVAL ERA. THIS WAS CALLED THE TRAIL OF TEARS WHEN 3000 CHEROKEES CROSSED THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. MORE THAN 500 DIED OF DYSENTERY AND SMALLPOX. THEY MERGED WITH THE CHOCKTAW TRIBE. AFTER TWO DECADES OF MISTRUST THEY REGAINED THEIR NATION ESTABLISHING IT IN OKLAHOMA. THEY ALLIED WITH THE CONFEDERATE STATES . BECAUSE THEY SIDED WITH THE CONFEDERATED STATES OF AMERICA THEY HAD TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LAND CLAIM.

IN 1866 THE U,S, MADE A PEACE TREATY WITH THE CHICKASAW SO THAT THE BLACKS COULD ACCEPT FULL CITIZENSHIP.

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