Birth of A Written Language

Sequoyah, born circa 1776 at the village of Tuskeegee, announced in 1809 in his blacksmith shop that the Cherokee could create a writing system to put their Cherokee words on paper. He spent 12 years of his life trying to create a writing system. We know he tried different types of writing systems, but these different systems would not work for him.

When Sequoyah discovered the sounds of the Cherokee language, he then realized that he could take each of the syllables and give it a symbol. He then could sound out the Cherokee word, and using his symbols, could write any Cherokee word. The Cherokee speaker could spend some time learning the symbols and then could sound out and read or sound out and write their Cherokee words on paper.

What’s known about Sequoyah

Sequoyah birth occurred very near where the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is today. The museum believes his father was Nathaniel Gist, a Virginia fur trader. His mother was Wut-teh, daughter of a Cherokee chief.

Sequoyah married a Cherokee, had a family, and was a silversmith by trade. He and other Cherokees enlisted under General Andrew Jackson to fight the British troops and the Creek Indians in the war of 1812.

Although Sequoyah was exposed to the concept of writing early in his life, he never learned the English alphabet. He began to toy with the idea of literacy for the Cherokee people. Unlike the white soldiers, he and the other Cherokees were not able to write letters home, read military orders, or record events as they occurred. After the war, he began in earnest to create a writing system for the Cherokees.

Making symbols

When he returned home after the war, Sequoyah began to make the symbols that could make words. He finally reduced the thousands of Cherokee thoughts to 85 symbols representing sounds. He made a game of this new writing systems and taught his little girl, Ayoka, how to make the symbols.

In 1821, after 12 years working on the new language, he and his daughter introduced his syllabary to the Cherokee people. Within a few months, thousands of Cherokees became literate.

By 1825, much of the Bible and numerous hymns had been translated into Cherokee. By 1828 they were publishing the “Cherokee Phoenix,” the first national bi-lingual newspaper, along with religious pamphlets, educational materials and legal documents.

In recognition of his contributions, the Cherokee Nation awarded Sequoyah a silver medal created in his honor and a lifetime literary pension. He continued to serve Cherokee people as a statesman and diplomat until his death.

Learn more

The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, a property of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, strives to promote the understanding and appreciation of the history of the Cherokee people. The museum, located on the shores of beautiful Tellico Lake, was built in 1986. 

The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum will be celebrating Sequoyah’s achievement throughout 2021. Plan to visit Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and celebrate 200 years of Cherokee literacy with Sequoyah’s creation of the syllabary. sequoyahmuseum.org