The Cherokee People: Homelands & History
Cherokee County has been inhabited for thousands of years by Native Americans. Archaeological findings have shown that the Paleo-Indians occupied the region nearly 11,000 years ago. The Cherokee Nation occupied the area and during the 1700s, they established self-sufficient self-governing towns. The Cherokee were considered a civilized tribe and adapted to white culture in an effort to maintain peace and keep their lands. In fact, one of the white customs they adopted was the process of establishing a government with a capital with they did at New Echota. The colorful history of Cherokee County is rich with the saga of the Cherokee people and their involuntary exodus West.