Decatur in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Words of Resistance

Photographed By Ruth Wilson Wilcox, June 25, 2017

1. Words of Resistance Marker

Inscription. Oral tradition—stories passed from one generation to the next—long told the history of the Cherokee people. Sequoyah was the first to write it down. In 1921, about 90 miles east of Decatur, he created the Cherokee syllabary, a set of 85 symbols that represent sounds. Cherokee literacy spread like wildfire: warriors learned the syllabary in a week and carried it back to their villages.

Knowledge is power. The first issue of the Cherokee Phoenix went to print in 1828. The newspaper, written in both English and Cherokee, informed readers about events in Washington, DC which ultimately led to the Trail of Tears. It was also a platform to speak out against removal of Cherokee people from their homeland in the Tennessee Valley.

Erected by City of Decatur.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1821.

Location. 34° 36.82′ N, 86° 58.809′ W. Marker is in Decatur, Alabama, in Morgan County. Marker can be reached from Oak Street north of Market Street. Located in Rhodes Ferry Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Decatur AL 35601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Uprooted From Home (here, next to this marker); “Captain, We’ve Got It At Last” - The Charge of the 14th U.S. Colored Infantry

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(a few steps from this marker); Site of Benson Field (within shouting distance of this marker); Cherokee Trail Of Tears (within shouting distance of this marker); Fight For Survival (within shouting distance of this marker); Packed with People (within shouting distance of this marker); Gold Star Families Memorial Monument (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Confederate Leadership at Decatur - McCartney Hotel Site (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Decatur.

Words of Resistance image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sandra Hughes Tidwell, January 6, 2020

2. Words of Resistance

Chief Doublehead, a controversial and notorious leader, sold prized Cherokee hunting lands to the US government in 1805.
An influential chief from Willstown Alabama, George Lowery Jr. led to Constitutional Conventions in 1827 and 1839 to establish a Cherokee government.
Creek Path Mission School opened in 1820 to teach English and Christianity to Cherokee children in Northern Alabama.

Indian Removal Act 1830 Trail of Tears National Trail of Tears image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sandra Hughes Tidwell, January 6, 2020

3. Indian Removal Act 1830 Trail of Tears National Trail of Tears

"We appeal to the magnanimity of American Congress for Justice, and the protection of the rights, liberties, and lives, of the Cherokee people... and we expect it from them under that memorable declaration, 'that all men are created equal.'"
Cherokee Chief John Ross on a delegation to Washington, 1924
Cherokee Chief John Ross informed Cherokee Phoenix readers about the Indian Removal act of 1830. Ross and his wife, Quatie, were among the last Cherokee to leave with the John Drew detachment, which passed by Decatur in December 1838. Quatie died on the journey west.

Photographed By Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022

4. Words of Resistance Marker

Photographed By Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022

5. Words of Resistance Marker

Vicinity of Words of Resistance Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Ruth Wilson Wilcox, June 25, 2017

6. Vicinity of Words of Resistance Marker

Photographed By Ruth Wilson Wilcox, June 25, 2017

7. Vicinity of Words of Resistance Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2019. This page has been viewed 234 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 10, 2019. 2, 3. submitted on January 6, 2022, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 4, 5. submitted on September 3, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 6, 7. submitted on October 10, 2019.