The History of the Cherokee People
Monterey, Tennessee is an important place for Cherokee culture in the Tennessee valley. It was estimated that the primary settling place for the Cherokees was in the southern Appalachian area and they specifically lived throughout the Cumberland Valley of Tennessee. In 1674, the population of the Cherokee tribe was estimated around 50,000 people.
The Cherokee were originally called the Aniyunwiya tribe but later changed their name to the Cherokee's, which means "people of a different speech". They lived in tribes of about 45 homes and a grand meeting place. This is where most of the town meetings took place and other major events that dealt with the community.
Around 1629, the Europeans were making their way into Monterey and were looking for gold. As they were trying to settle in, they taught the Cherokees many new tricks and introduced them to tools that would change the way they lived drastically. The Cherokee tribe began to industrialize and grew in many ways. By the 1760s, they began to trade various crops with the Europeans. This increased their productivity and their general well being of life.
By the time the 1800s rolled around, the Cherokee's has started setting up schools and their own form of government. They also had started forming their own language and eventually began to read and write using it. Monterey owes a lot of its historical background to these Cherokee tribes and could not be where it is today without the Cherokee's rich history.
Pam Dunn
pam@choiceoftn.com
Choice Realty of Tennessee
7387 Plateau Road
Crossville, Tennessee 38571
Office: 931-277-3327
Office: 931-210-8655
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