The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation - Trail of Tears

My parents have had this book in their library for many years. When I saw a used copy in excellent condition for under $8.00, I was excited to add it to my library. This is a telling book of the outrageous atrocities waged against the Cherokee Natives who had embraced white men's ways and were still sold out. This book stands on its own merit.

No one can doubt that the Native Americans were robbed of their land and wealth in the white mans rapid expansion and desire for land. What this book brings to light are the other culprits in this tragedy. It is difficult to picture a leader of the Cherokee people being a lobbyist in Washington while securing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of contracts for him self, family and friends. This is a story of two migrations of the Cherokee people to the new Indian Territory one with little or no suffering along the way and the other the Trail of Tears.

More understanding about my "mountain man" ancestor Pressler and his Cherokee wives, first to "Mourning Flowers", and after her death, to "Mourning Dove". The Cherokee connection is very distant, but I am glad to know that it is there.

Such an interesting and important subject matter, but the poor writing got in the way. The author frequently and abruptly changed narrative voice, for example, turning very informal or perhaps speaking in the voice of a character unexpectedly. It was very odd. There were also unattributed quotes, which was especially odd with an otherwise footnoted book.

Until Sequoyah's praiseworthy invention of the Cherokee Syllabary in the early 19th century, Cherokee history - like other Native American tribes - was orally transmitted, with only a small fraction of the past preserved for posterity. Most of what was preserved were customs, traditions, and societal ways of life. Ehle's book attempts to give the reader a feel for what Cherokee life was like down through the centuries, describing the food, the houses, the matriarchal structure of society, the athletic contests, and many other aspects of their existence. He even comments on the outdated, yet amusingly mistaken notion that the Cherokees were one of the lost tribes of Israel. From this reconstructed general history of the past, he moves into the era of written history, eventually arriving at the famous saga of the Trail of Tears in the late 1830s. He researched his work thoroughly and tried to give a balanced approach by voicing alternative viewpoints, avoiding the overly simplistic "poor red man/bad white man" impression that seems to be so politically popular nowadays. What the reader will find is that there were both scoundrels and heroes among both whites and Cherokees. Sadly, when one speaks of victims, most of them seem to be the average Cherokee family (and some Caucasian missionaries). Indian life was slowly and inexorably subsumed by overwhelming numbers of Caucasian settlers, forcing the Indians to give up their lands, possessions, and livelihood to the very people they were trying to emulate. (This emulation included among other things farming methods, a bicameral government, newspaper production, clothing styles, housing architecture, and in many cases the Christian religion.)
The events leading up to the Trail of Tears were complex, and while the Cherokees were in agreement about wanting to keep their lands, they were divided over means for preserving this; hence the John Ross versus Major Ridge faction. Ehle's telling of this long and disheartening story does make the people of Georgia, President Andrew Jackson, and John Ross seem like scoundrels. Many Cherokees and white Americans acted dishonorably, but the picture painted by Ehle makes these three parties' abominable practices seem inexcusable. How accurate Ehle's portrait is can be decided by the reader. (It didn't seem too distorted to me.)
In places, Ehle switches his prose from third person narrative to first person viewpoints. This makes the text a little uneven, but not therefore difficult to follow. Overall, I give this book high marks for reconstruction of pre-historical Cherokee life and a balanced presentation of the triumph and tragedies of the Cherokee nation up through the Trail of Tears. (He also gives, in an epilogue, some updates on what has happened to some of the Cherokees since the Trail of Tears, explaining, for example, the roots of formation for what is now Cherokee, North Carolina.)

This account was very readable & held my interest throughout. I checked it out of the library in Albany, Georgia &, after reading it, convinced my husband to take a vacation up to Cherokee, North Carolina. At the Cherokee museum, we were able to see a printing press used to print the Cherokee newspaper (one of only 2 presses in the world - if I remember correctly). All of this occurred years ago, but I am writing about it because I think this book's use of story telling techniques helped bring the story alive & made it memorable! I recommend it as one account of the Cherokee people & their struggles.

"Trail of Tears," by John Ehle, is a beautifully written book
which educates and entertains, uplifts and depresses, frustrates
and astonishes. The reader becomes painfully aware that the
history we were taught in school virtually ignored an important
part of the American story. The true nature of the Cherokee
is exposed and examined through Ehle's obviously dedicated
research, while throughout the book, the tone is less that of a
documentary, and more that of a story being told, gripping the listener with each new development.

Heroes are exposed as miscreants, and statesmen as traitors to
principles we all hold dear. The reader comes to realize just
how close the Cherokee came to having an entirely different destiny
than the one to which they finally succumbed, and becomes intimately
acquainted with the characters and causes involved therein.

The book is a fast read, an eye-opener, and contains a story
that all people, and especially all Americans, should know and
pass on for generations to come.

The title "Trail of Tears" brings to mind a simple, dramatic outline. Cherokees adapt to the coming of white men by borrowing "civilized arts," but in the end are cruelly and uncivilly displaced from their homes to reservations in the West. This book does tell that trajedy. But Ehle gives more of a social and sometimes anthropological history, not a melodrama or sermon. He describes Cherokee customs, tells the story of two leading Cherokee families, and also offers a series of snapshots of contemporary American culture (or cultures): frontiermen and missionary, statesmen and black slave. Both Indians and whites come across as more complex and varied than any derivative of either the John Wayne or the Noble Savage stereotype: Ehle is a historian, not a historicist, and allows facts, events, and letters to speak for themselves without undue manipulation. The details he selects are usually interesting, and my net impression is of meeting real human beings.
The contrast between missionaries and full-blooded Cherokees could easily descend to hagiography or satire, but Ehle manages instead to show something of the nobility, and the blindness, on both sides of that particular conflict. Georgia legislators and frontiersmen come across a bit more negatively, but appear to have no one to blame for that but themselves. Ehle does not press the point, but there is a lot of food for thought and fruitful national soul-searching here.
author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

" Truly disappointing" - although Ehrle apparently did a lot of research and gives a good recount of events that led to the rise and fall of the Cherokee nation, his constant reference to the fact that Cherokees owned black slaves and treated them poorly became irritating. He devoted most of the book to his main characters, the minority mixed-bloods (white/Cherokee), illustrating their controlling views and experiences while giving little time to the views of the full bloods that vehemently opposed slavery and white culture in general. At times, some of his statements about the full-blood's commitment to tradition comes across as a "put-down". His epilogue was completely biased and left much to be desired. In it, he adds "insult to injury" by inferring that when compared to the treatment of the Indians in Mexico by the Spanish, the U.S. Government was kinder to the Indian. I find it appalling that this book appears on the recommended reading list for most Native American studies. Just another example of a person who thinks because he grew up near Cherokee, NC, he is an authority on Cherokee culture. Anyone of Cherokee decent should walk away from this book feeling "slapped in the face"-again."

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle. Highly recommended.
In Trail of Tears, John Ehle (who is, as far as I can tell, non-Native) sketches the people and events that led to the infamous Trail of Tears, the removal of the Cherokee Nation to "Indian Territory" (primarily Arkansas and Oklahoma) where they would "never" be bothered by whites again. The focus is on the "Treaty Party," consisting of Ridge, his son John Ridge, and his nephews Elias Boudinot and Stand Watie, along with Moravian, Methodist, and other missionaries sent to convert the Cherokees to Christianity and who are caught up in Cherokee/state/federal politics.
Ehle's bias is evident in the title; the "rise" of the Cherokees is the effort, not wholly embraced by the Nation, of adapting to European-American culture, language, religion, and even livelihood (e.g., Cherokee hunting is uncivilized, whereas the adoption of American farming is preferable). The story begins with some background and the birth of a Cherokee man named Ridge not too long before the American Revolutionary War. The white impact has already begun to be felt, as one of Ridge's forebears is white, and he and his family are driven into the wilds by the war.
After the war ends, the new Americans have one craving-land and more land. A gold strike in Georgia adds to the fever. The Cherokee, along with the Choctaw, Creek, and other southern tribes, are perceived as "wasting" land that their white counterparts should be entitled to. From this point on, it is clear that the Juggernaut of American expansionism and greed will displace the Native peoples. The question is only how and when.
Meanwhile, Ridge, who will not convert to Christianity but who wholeheartedly adopts many white ways for himself and his children, becomes not only a wealthy plantation owner but a leader of the Cherokee Nation. His son becomes an attorney, while Boudinot becomes the first editor of the Cherokee newspaper, The Phoenix. Both young men marry white New Englanders they meet while at school. Ridge and his family and allies are the first to see the writing on the wall-that the Cherokees will be removed; it is a matter of whether it is "voluntarily" on their own terms in their own time or involuntarily.
The principal chief of the Cherokee, a Cherokee-Scot named John Ross, is portrayed as a man in a state of denial. It is never clear how he thought the Cherokee could overcome the overwhelming tide of white intrusion without bloodshed and without losing. He and his followers blame the Ridge faction for selling the Cherokee out when they sign the Treaty of 1835 that puts the seal on the removal. They feel that they can continue to "negotiate," not realising that Andrew Jackson has set the tone and the terms-and that the federal government under his leadership has loaded the die. Ehle is no John Ross fan; when the inevitable finally happens and the Cherokee are removed, Ross sends them via the lengthy, dangerous, time-consuming land route, resulting in hundreds if not thousands of deaths (the number remains unknown), while Ross and his family use the quicker, less treacherous water routes.
There are several dichotomies in this history-the Upper Towns vs. the Lower Towns; the full-bloods vs. those with white ancestors/family; the uneducated (mostly full-bloods, according to Ehle) vs. the educated (John Ridge, Boudinot); the federal government vs. state government (a dichotomy that would be resolved violently through the Civil War). A forest/mountain vs. town dichotomy is also evident. In any case, anything that speaks of the way the Cherokee used to be is seen as "primitive," while Cherokee adoption of white ways is lauded by their neighbors. In fact, this is seen as the heart of the problem; the Cherokee people are pliable, are willing to adapt, are willing to live like the whites-and in the end are treated no better than their Creek, Choctaw, and Seminole counterparts. Ehle includes much contemporary commentary on this particular irony.
This book has been said to be controversial because it shows the wealthier Cherokees, like Ridge, John Ridge, and John Ross as owning African slaves. The Cherokees tried to marry their own ways with that of the European-Americans; they had always had slaves, usually captives from other tribes. But it is clear that the majority of Cherokees were poor, did not own plantations, and did not exploit slaves.
Trail of Tears is an excellent snapshot of a particular situation and will be eye opening to those who are not familiar with the story of the southern tribes and their interactions with the burgeoning American population. Ehle includes a wealth of primary sources, such as letters, journal excerpts, military orders, and the like, that serve to enrich the story. This history lesson is told in a story/fiction format enhanced by contemporary writings that keep it interesting, lively, and personal. Ehle's biases are clear but do not detract from this book as a history of a moment in time when the fate of a nation was decided. This is an excellent supplement to any broader history of the Trail of Tears.
Diane L. Schirf, 29 April 2001.

Very sad. Gives a different POV from anything I had read or heard. The US govt treated the Indians shamefully. The whites couldn't conceive that the Indians had families & rituals & intelligence; they were just in the way. A difficult read. Susan Stanton

Darwin might suggest that the exodus of the Cherokees from their native land to new territories was an example of a uniquely human ability to decide to survive. To remain in areas near an invading population with superior technology and ever growing numbers could easily result in annihilation. History had already proven this could be the case. What makes the Trail of Tears a segment of history that every American should be aware of is the uniquely inhuman reasons why the Indians were faced with a decision at all.

The book takes a cursory tour of history up to the time of the Trail of Tears then makes a more illustrative turn as it settles into describing the rift created within the Cherokee tribe surrounding their dilemma. John Ross and his followers preferred to stay, while Major Ridge and his son organized to leave.

This rift set in motion a number of well described events that not only tore the tribe apart in waves that echo to this day, it laid waste to many lives and much property along the way. Although the book starts with a plodding pace, it gradually builds into a complex weave of politics and a tragic drama.

The Trail of Tears certainly leaves one to question why are so proud of Andrew Jackson that he must be printed on every $20 bill and why we insist on calling the football team from Washington the "Redskins". We should recognize a derogatory attitude for what it is and have more respect for a civilization that held the original title to this land.

The historical information and the story itself was interesting, but I didn't favor his style of writing. His writing was very one dimensional and undescriptive. Instead of creating vivid images that pull you into the story, it was like reading a police report. Also, the author seemed a little biased against the Cherokees. But if you are interested in Native American history I still think it is worth reading.

After reading this book for a college class, my heart just broke for the Native American Indians and how they were treated, assulted, and driven off their land. They walked that long winding trail and died by the thousands. Families were separated, divided, and death took a lot of the natives. This book is very informative containing the facts and details of the early history and leading up to to the removal of the Indians. the book grabs you and it seems to put you right there as it unfolds.

Great historical narrative on the Cherokee Nation, which incidentally is one of the most tragic episodes in American history. And one written from the perspective of the Cherokee people. Even though the book was an assigned reading for one of my graduate studies classes, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Challenging and a real eye opener.

This was my first introduction to the history of the Cherokees. Unlike other reviewers, I can't judge the accuracy of the history. Some reviewers give it high praise, and some think it's riddled with mistakes. I think the book falls somewhere in between.
The beginning of the book was very difficult to get through. The book does pick up and becomes quite disturbing. However, this is part of the forgotten history of our country. Overall, I think the book was forth 4 stars.

Great historical narrative on the Cherokee Nation, which incidentally is one of the most tragic episodes in American history. And one written from the perspective of the Cherokee people. Even though the book was an assigned reading for one of my graduate studies classes, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Challenging and a real eye opener.

This was my first introduction to the history of the Cherokees. Unlike other reviewers, I can't judge the accuracy of the history. Some reviewers give it high praise, and some think it's riddled with mistakes. I think the book falls somewhere in between.
The beginning of the book was very difficult to get through. The book does pick up and becomes quite disturbing. However, this is part of the forgotten history of our country. Overall, I think the book was forth 4 stars.

This book is filled with facts but as others have pointed out, it is also filled with errors and sometimes reads like a historical "fiction" novel. I have over a 100 books on this topic but I'd say go ahead and buy this book. If you want the best researched book on the topic, also purchase:

"Cherokee Tragedy: The Ridge Family and the Decimation of a People" by Thurman Wilkins.

Another fantastic book, which is out-of-print, is:

"Stand Watie and the Agony of the Cherokee Nation" by Kenny A. Franks.

The Franks book deals with the Cherokees and the Civil War.

Ehle's writing style can be entertaining, but is also uneven and at times downright confusing. The strengths are his telling of the Major Ridge story, which is really what this book is about, i.e. The life of Major Ridge and his son, John Ridge, and nephews, Elias Boudinot and Stand Watie. This was the first book I had read about the events leading up to the Trail of Tears, and I came away with the distinct impression that Ridge was a tragic hero who was treacherously murdered by the anti-treaty party of John Ross. Ross is portrayed as basically an inept leader who spends his life on a wild-goose chase to hold on to the Eastern Cherokee lands.

Imagine my surprise when I did some more research and learned that that is not at all how the Cherokee view these two men. On the contrary, Ross is seen as the hero and Ridge as a traitor, and in hindsight I see why that is.

Read this book for some info into the life of Major Ridge, but to find out how the Cherokee see the Trail of Tears, read something else.

I am not a professional historian, but I have read a lot of history, and know a little. I tried to be patient, but could only stand to read half of this awful book. I tried to overlook it when the author refered to people, events, treaties that he never introduced! And when he quoted long, long, long selections from primary sources. If I wanted to read long primary-source selections, I would read those primary sources! How about some interpretation Mr. Ehle? Insight? I suppose that is way too much to ask from this rotten book. Ehle even writes that John Quincy Adams was James Monroe's Secretary of War. (p.195-196) Sorry Mr. Ehle, Adams was the Secretary of STATE. If Ehle can't indentify probably the greatest Secretary of State the United States ever had, how can I believe any of the details of Cherokee history that he offers. Stay away from this book. The cover is nice. It shows the famous romanticized depiction of the Trail of Tears. Of course it would be too much to ask to have an accurate picture on the cover! Stay away from this book. Stay away from this book. Stay away from this book! It is an awful mess.

An amazing book that should be required reading for ALL!! It is a hard read but only because of the nature of it's content. It shows the total contempt we had towards the indigenous people we call Indians.

Very sad. Gives a different POV from anything I had read or heard. The US govt treated the Indians shamefully. The whites couldn't conceive that the Indians had families & rituals & intelligence; they were just in the way. A difficult read. Susan Stanton

This book is a "must have" for every historian (amateur or otherwise). You will find yourself so drawn into the details that you will feel like you are right there with them. You cannot help but feel compassion and anger for the peoples in this true story. It should shock the conscience to think a government could be so cold, selfish and cruel. Every english and history student should make it a priority to read and study this monumental piece of literature.

John Ehle's Trail of Tears is definitely historically relevant, but I found it to be very dry reading. The book is filled with an abundance of facts, dates, and sources and will be a wonderful selection if you enjoyed your college history textbook. This is a book to learn facts from, not to enjoy an emotionally jarring narrative. If you are looking for a truely enjoyable narrative of Native American life that is historically accurate yet fills in the unknown blanks with reputable intuitiveness, I suggest James Alexander Thom's Panther in the Sky. Trail of Tears would make an excellent source for research.

Well written however, this is not the book to buy if you wish to read about the Trail of Tears. I think the title of this book is very misleading and should only be Named the history of the Cherokee Nation. It does however have wonderful historical letters and documentation from within, which keeps it a good read. None the less I found it leaned to the "White" version of historical events. Certainly the case in the last 20 pages which is about the Trail of Tears. I was disapointed.