Cherokee Families of Rusk County, Texas

Website Created By Phil Norfleet

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Cherokee Census of 1835

A census of the Eastern Cherokees, sometimes called the Henderson Roll, was taken by the Federal Government in 1835.  In total, it enumerated 16, 542 Cherokees living in the states of North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.  The following table summarizes the results of that census:

Category North Carolina Georgia Alabama Tennessee Total
           
Indians 3,644 8,946 1,424 2,528 16,542
Intermarried Whites 22 68 32 79 201
Slaves 37 776 299 480 1,592
Farms 714 1,735 259 412 3,120
Acres under Cultivation 6, 906 19,216 7,252 10,692 38,134

Source:  The Cherokees - A Population History, by Russell Thornton (published 1990)

The census of 1835 also enumerated the Indians as to whether each was a fullblood, halfblood or quarterblood Cherokee.  The Federal Government regarded a person as an Indian only if he/she was of one-quarter Indian blood or more.  Most of the Cherokees were listed as being fullbloods, yet most of the Cherokees who held tribal leadership positions were of mixed blood.  This fact would cause much stress and lead to sporadic outbreaks of internal violence throughout the time period covered by this website (1819-1880).  The family groups selected for analysis at this website were all mixed blood groups and, although above average in socio-economic success, they were also more likely to suffer acts of violence  from other Cherokees.

The breakdown of the Cherokee portion of the census by blood category is as follows:

 

Number % of Total

 

   

Number of Fullbloods

12,776 77.23 %

Number of Halfbloods

1, 391 08.41 %

Number of Quarterbloods

1,469 08.88 %

Other Non-White Racial Status

906 05.48 %
     

Total

16,542 100.00 %

 

This page is under construction!

 

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