John Ross 1790–1866

John Ross was born along the Coosa River in presentday Alabama on October 3, 1790. Ross was a Cherokee by virtue of his descent from his Cherokee grandmother. His maternal side of the family introduced him to Cherokee culture, and his father, a trader from Scotland, ensured that he received a formal education. By the time he was a young man, John Ross was comfortable in both the Cherokee and Anglo-American worlds and was prepared to assume a leadership role in his tribe. He became a successful planter and businessman, establishing a trading post and ferry service with his brother, Lewis. After fighting on the side of Andrew Jackson’s army in the Creek Civil War (1813–1814)—a conflict between traditionalist Creek who resisted American encroachment into their territory and more accomodationist Creek who wanted to adopt aspects of Anglo-American culture and maintain peaceful relations— Ross assumed the responsibilities of clerk to the Cherokee chief Pathkiller. He was elected to the Cherokee national council in 1817 and from 1818 to 1827 presided over the committee that handled the nation’s day-to-day affairs. Ross became principal chief pro tem upon Pathkiller’s death in 1827. That same year he was elected to the committee that drafted the Cherokee national constitution. In 1828 the Cherokee elected Ross as their first principal chief under the new constitution, a position he held until his death in 1866.