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Cherokee People's Impact In American History

1549 Words7 Pages
Introduction The Cherokee people have a rich history in North America. A strong people pre- and post-contact, they have experienced time of prosper, decline, and regrowth. This essay will provide an overview of the Cherokee people using their history transitioning into contemporary times. A focus will be on their political, social, cultural and economic impacts in both a historical and contemporary context. To conclude, I will discuss the impacts European’s had on the Cherokee people’s progression into the 21st century using Goehring’s (1993) model of colonial impacts. The Cherokee People The Cherokee people have been around for years prior to European invasion and colonization. By the time of European contact, the Cherokee spoke multiple dialects and were spread over a vast area of land (Sturm, 2002, p. 30) As per Indians.org, the Cherokee people are a North American Indigenous group of Iroquoian descent. Originally from the Great Lakes region, a migration to the east coast had taken place. The tribes had lived in cabins and were in different sections. With the introduction of the white man, Cherokee had quickly adopted different ways of life from these people. The search for gold and other resources was the main driver for Cherokee displacement. Of historical note, the movement of the Cherokee people from west to east is known as the Trail of Tears. Many have lost their lives during this journey. History The first contact by Europeans was in the early 16th century.
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