This course will introduce students to Cherokee History through the use of focused research assignments on
individual Cherokee people. Each student will follow one individual and their descendants through the archival
sources over time. For the purposes of the SCI project with SETDD, students will be focusing on individuals
who resided in the Hiwassee area at the time of removal. Students will gather and organize materials in
research portfolios throughout the term. In addition to writing a children’s biography about the person they have
studied, students will write a longer paper examining the contours and major turning points of Cherokee History
examined by historians, but with careful attention to how the individual’s life they have studied either reinforces,
challenges, or complicates the narratives written by scholars. Additionally, the students will share their research
portfolios with officials at the Hiwassee Heritage Center and SETDD for their use as they move forward with
projects that highlight the history of Cherokee removal from the region and the unique experiences of individual
Cherokees who experienced the full impact of removal policy.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
Smart Communities Initiative Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
Julia Reed
History
Local Government / Community Contact
Melissa Mortimer
Historic Preservation Planner