And the trail continued : nineteenth century federal Indian policies and the Vann family, 1745-1902.

Abstract

The Cherokee, similar to other American Indian tribes, struggled with the implications of the growing Anglo population along the eastern seaboard leading up to American independence. The collision of White and Indian resulted in compromise and conflict with only one group emerging victorious in the battle for land and resources. The traditions of American Indians fell victim to the imperialistic drive of Europeans and a new nation called the United States. This thesis follows the Cherokee Vann family as they navigated the Anglo world of commerce, politics, religion, and family. Their response to the encroaching American culture is an exemplar case of Indians and their attempt to acculturate during the early nineteenth century. James, the patriarch Vann family, actively negotiated commerce and power with the Cherokee "young chiefs" and Indian Agent Return Jonathan Meigs. James' actions placed him squarely on the "white man's path," which promised prosperity and peace with the growing population in the southeast. This promise, however, was broken as American greed overwhelmed all Indians, progressive or traditional. The promised benefits of acculturation turned out to be a cruel lie that left American Indians destitute and ultimately without tribe or nation. This thesis begins with the history of the Georgia Vanns (1745-1834), a period of great financial prosperity, political power, and change as James moved the family out of the traditional Cherokee schema and assumed a clear Anglo patriarchy. The research follows the family through the removal crisis of the 1830s and their settlement in Indian Territory. The American Civil War adds another chapter to the rapid deceleration of the family, ultimately concluding with the loss of Cherokee sovereignty through the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 and the Curtis Act of 1898. The empire James Vann built by his death in 1809 crumbled under the weight of an overbearing federal government, anxious to control all the lands held by American Indians.