anxious to begin the
necessary measures for the civilization and preservation of their nation,
and to settle the differences arising out of the treaty of 1817, have
offered to cede to the United States a tract of country "at least as
extensive" as that to which the Government is entitled under the
late treaty. The cession embraces (1) a tract in Alabama and Ten-
nessee, between Tennessee and Flint rivers; (2) a tract in Tennessee,
between Tennessee river and Waldens ridge; (3) a large irregular tract
in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia, embracing in Tennessee
nearly r all the remaining Cherokee lands north of Hiwassee river, and
in North Carolina and Georgia nearly everything remaining to them
east of the Nantahala mountains and the upper western branch of the
Chattahoochee; (4) six small pieces reserved by previous treaties. The
entire cessionaggregated nearly six thousand square miles, or more
than one-fourth of all then held by the nation. Individual reservations
of one mile square each within the ceded area were allowed to a num-
ber of families which decided to remain among the whites and become
citizens rather than abandon their homes. Payment was to be made
for all substantial improvements abandoned, one-third of all tribal
annuities were hereafter to be paid to the western hand, and the treaty
was declared to be a final adjustment of all claims and differences aris-
ing from the treaty of 1817. 2
Civilization had now progressed so far among the Cherokee that in
the fall of 1820 they adopted a regular republican form of govern-
ment modeled after that of the United States. Under this arrangement
the nation was divided into eight districts, each