Governing New Echota

When the United States Constitution was ratified in 1788, Georgia had only 10 counties. Eight were originally created as parishes under colonial rule. Franklin and Washington counties were later created from land ceded by the Creeks and Cherokees.

Today, there are no federally recognized Native American tribes in Georgia. However, some residing tribes are recognized by the state.

This map details the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation and some of its key developments from 1820 to 1868.

Map of New Echota

In 1827, the Cherokee Nation adopted a constitution largely modeled after that of the United States. It laid out a separation of judicial, executive, and legislative powers and was both commended and criticized.

As the Cherokee Nation continued to adopt American practices, many whites judged them to be progressing and civilizing. However, many Cherokees considered the new structure of government to be a significant and unwelcome break with their traditions.

The Council House in New Echota served as the meeting place for government officials who generally convened in October for annual legislative meetings.

The Cherokee Nation's executive branch also met in these rooms.

All bills passed by the Cherokee council were sent to the principal chief for signature. Like the executive branch of the United States government, the chief could either veto a bill or sign it into law.

John Ross served as the first principal chief, Major George Lowery served as the deputy chief, and Major Ridge acted as the speaker of the house, presiding over a forty-member legislature.

Cherokee leader Major Ridge was born around 1771 in Tennessee and was called Kah-nung-da-tla-geh or "the man who walks on the mountaintop." After fighting with Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, he was awarded the title of major.

Together with John Ross, he helped establish the Cherokee Nation government in 1827. As a Cherokee leader, Ridge was challenged by settlers encroaching on Cherokee territory while the United States government called for all Native Americans to be removed from their land.

Controversially, Major Ridge was one of the signers of the Treaty of New Echota in 1835 that relinquished Cherokee land in Georgia for land in what is now Oklahoma.

George Lowrey, or Agi-Li, was born around 1770 to a Scottish mother and a Cherokee father.

Lowrey was a descendant of Cherokee chiefs. He fought with Andrew Jackson in the Creek War from 1813 to 1814, served as delegate for the Cherokee Nation in its negotiations with the federal government in 1792 and 1823, and helped draft the Cherokee Constitution in 1827.

As deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation, he supported Chief John Ross in rejecting the encroachment of white settlers and refusing to accept the Indian Removal Act.

The 1827 Cherokee Constitution created a judicial branch with eight lower courts and a Supreme Court that was headquartered in New Echota.

More than 250 cases, mostly civil in nature, were heard at the New Echota courthouse. Most were simple disputes over property and inheritance rights.