John Ross was Principal Chief for more than 30 years, during some of the most critical times in Cherokee history. The John Ross Museum, housed in a former rural school built in 1913, takes visitors on a journey into his life and leadership. View exhibits and interactive displays detailing the Trail of Tears, the Civil War and the Cherokee Golden...

Built in 1824, this Fort Gibson Historic Site served as a staging area for several military expeditions that explored the west and sought peace between the tribes of the region. It was occupied through most of the Indian Removal period, abandoned in 1857, and then reactivated during the Civil War. The army stayed through the Reconstruction...

In spring 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto entered Cherokee Nation, which at the time encompassed modern-day Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

In 1817, Cherokee Nation took additional steps toward forming a centralized government and establishing a national committee, a precursor to the legislative branch.

Trail of Tears Art Show 2023

In November 2018, the Cherokee Nation put out a call to its citizens to share stories and photos of where their Cherokee Nation flag has flown.