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“The Man Who Walks on the Mountain Ridge Top” was the translation of his Cherokee name, a name soon shortened to “The Ridge.” However he is known in history as Major Ridge, and he would play a pivotal role in the events surrounding the Cherokee removal.
Born on the banks of the Hiwassee River around 1772, he became a noted warrior at age 16 and was active in raids on white settlers from 1788-93, including the Cavett’s Station massacre. The post was surrounded, and Chief Doublehead promised to spare the inhabitants if they surrendered three white men there. The whites complied, but Doublehead reneged and killed everyone, including 13 women and children. The Ridge objected, stating Doublehead his disgraced the tribe. Thus began a blood feud that ended in death.
Ridge was named to the Cherokee Council at 21. When Doublehead was discovered to have accepted a bribe to cede Cherokee land to white speculators, the council sent Ridge and two others to kill Doublehead. They succeeded.
Ridge’s influence continued to rise. When Tecumseh and The Prophet sought Cherokee to join his effort to combine forces and rise up against the white man, Ridge rejected the idea. After Tecumseh spoke, he reportedly threatened Tecumseh with death should he try to recruit Cherokee.
Ridge led Cherokee detachments under Andrew Jackson’s command in the Creek War and the first Seminole War, after which he added “Major” to his name. Ridge returned to the Cherokee nation and started a plantation near Rome, Ga., which today is successful with a ferry, 300 acres under cultivation and a trading post. He owned 30 slaves.
The Cherokee capital moved to New Echota in 1825 (Calhoun, Ga., today), close to the Ridge properties. That same year, the National Council notified the U.S. government they would never again cede land, ending years of erosion. The Council also ruled anyone ceding Cherokee land to the United States was guilty of a death penalty offense.
In 1827, Ridge was elected speaker of the National Council, and John Ross became president. A year later, Ridge was named Ross’ chief counselor.
Many Cherokee in Georgia were assimilating into the white lifestyle, while Cherokee further inside the Cherokee Nation, such as western North Carolina, retained the traditional ways. Ridge’s son, John, was sent for a formal education in white schools and together the father and son became leaders in the effort against the proposed Indian removal.
In 1830, Georgia tried to seize Cherokee land and move whites onto it. Major Ridge with a force of 30 Cherokee evicted many who had illegally settled. Still, the removal talks went forward.
After meeting with President Andrew Jackson and realizing Jackson’s determination to enforce the Removal Act, the Ridges came away believing there was no choice but to accept removal and the Cherokee should realize removal was inevitable and strike their best deal possible.
Chief John Ross’ position was exactly opposite. He wanted to resist removal at all costs, splitting the Cherokee into two groups, the Treaty Party headed by the Ridges versus Ross. Ridge’s nephew – Elias Boudinot, publisher of the Cherokee language newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix – vehemently opposed removal, but shifted to his uncle Major Ridge’s stance.
The Treaty Party entered negotiations with the U.S. government led by John Schermerhorn.
Ross urged the Cherokee to boycott the talks, heeded by many traditional Cherokee. Cherokee who had more interaction with whites leaned toward Ridge’s position. Talks continued under the Treaty Party’s contention that absent Cherokee were by their absence giving the Treaty Party permission to negotiate on their behalf – despite the fallacy of that claim. Major Ridge discounted Ross’ authority since the tribal elections there were supposed to have been held in 1828 were suspended and, therefore, he had as much authority as Ross to lead.
The U.S. government did not care about Cherokee majority representation. All they wanted was some Cherokee’s name on the Removal treaty so they could grab the Cherokee lands, rich in gold, cultivated land, and other natural resources.
In December 1835, supposedly representing the entire Cherokee Nation, Major Ridge, John Ridge, Elias Boudinot, Stand Watie and other members of the Treaty Party signed the Treaty of New Echota. The fate of the Cherokee remaining east of the Mississippi was sealed. Ridge understood the gravity of his action, reportedly saying as he made his mark, “I have signed my death warrant.”
Congress quickly ratified the treaty by a single vote in March 1836. Within weeks, U.S. troops were on Cherokee land building forts and confiscating firearms.
Major Ridge did not wait to leave. Leading his family and other Cherokee, they emigrated to Oklahoma in March 1837, traveling by flatboat and steamer to land 50 miles from the treaty assigned Cherokee territory.
The following year, U.S. government troops began rounding up all Cherokee who remained. They had been given two years to get prepared to move but chose not to. Forced to relocate to Oklahoma was now the only option.
The Ross and Treaty factions remained fractured, and once in Oklahoma a group of Ross’ followers felt it was time to extract revenge on Treaty party leaders. Ross later claimed no knowledge of their plans.
On June 22, 1839, John Ridge was dragged from his home by 25 men and murdered in front of his wife and children. That same day, Elias Boudinot was assassinated by a group of 30 men near his home and Stand Watie was attacked, but escaped to Missouri.
Ridge fared no better. He was attacked and murdered. Included in his assassination group was Bird Doublehead, son of Chief Doublehead killed by Ridge years before, marking the beginning of a Civil War among the Oklahoma Cherokee.
Bruce Voyles’ local history column runs every other week in the Cherokee Scout. Email him at RoadsLessTraveled@cherokeescout.com.