Tennessee, Lewis County, near Gordonsburg
Before 1805 the Chickasaw Indians owned all the land in this vicinity. Only the Natchez Trace – part of which remains here – had made inroads into tribal territory.
When the Indians ceded land to the United States in the early 1800's, the Natchez Trace became a boundary. The land behind you became government property under an 1805 treaty. In 1816 the tribe ceded a much larger tract including the land in front of you.
Eventually the Chickasaws left their homeland. In 1837 the government removed them to Indian Territory in Oklahoma over the tragic “Trail of Tears.”
Despite the dissolution of their lands, the Chickasaws evolved a unique culture based on the American model. As hunting ranges shrank, they became farms. The Chickasaws established their own schools, courts, and legislature. During the Civil War the tribe joined the Confederacy.
(Native Americans • Roads & Vehicles) Includes location, directions, 7 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
Before 1805 the Chickasaw Indians owned all the land in this vicinity. Only the Natchez Trace – part of which remains here – had made inroads into tribal territory.
When the Indians ceded land to the United States in the early 1800's, the Natchez Trace became a boundary. The land behind you became government property under an 1805 treaty. In 1816 the tribe ceded a much larger tract including the land in front of you.
Eventually the Chickasaws left their homeland. In 1837 the government removed them to Indian Territory in Oklahoma over the tragic “Trail of Tears.”
Despite the dissolution of their lands, the Chickasaws evolved a unique culture based on the American model. As hunting ranges shrank, they became farms. The Chickasaws established their own schools, courts, and legislature. During the Civil War the tribe joined the Confederacy.
(Native Americans • Roads & Vehicles) Includes location, directions, 7 photos, GPS coordinates, map.