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CountyLineFebruary2012www.CountyLineMagazine.net24nxbwechotaBxbcomxbsthxbChxbrokxbxbnatiox12x19sCapitalTheearly19thcenturywasatimeofchangeandanewerafortheCherokee.TheydiscardedthetraditionalclansystemofrulethattheyhadbeenusingandadoptedagovernmentsystemthatwassimilartothatoftheUnitedStates.TheCherokeeNationwasdividedintoeightdis-trictsx14HickoryLogChattoogeeEtowahAquoheeChick-amaugeeAmoahTahquoheeandCoosewatee.Alegisla-turewasestablishedtomakelawsandapprovetreatiesandfourdelegatesfromeachdistrictwereelectedtoserveinthelowerhousethatwascalledtheNationalCouncil.Thisbodythenchosethe12memberswhowouldserveintheupperhousethatwascalledtheNationalCommittee.TheNationalCommitteethenselectedthetopofx17cersofprincipalchiefassistantprincipalchiefandtreasurer.Inthefallof1819theCouncilbeganholdingtheirannualmeetingsinNewtownasmallcommunitylocatedatthejunctionoftheCoosawatteeandConasaugariversinwhatiscurrent-dayClarkCounty.OnNovember121825theCounciladoptedaresolutiontomakethistheCherokeeNationx19scapitalandchangedthenametoNewEchota.NewEchotabecamethegovernmentalseatheadquartersfortheindependentIndiannation.Itwasaplannedcom-munitythatwaslaidoutbyCherokeesurveyors.Ithadatwo-acretownsquareandamainstreetthatwas60-feetwide.MostoftheyearNewEchotaremainedasmallquiettownbutwhenCouncilmeetingswereheldtherethetownwasx17lledwithhundredsofCherokees.ThxbCherokeePhoenixeliasBoudix12otax12dSamuxblWorcxbstxbrIn1821awrittenformoftheCherokeelanguagewasadopted.In1828thislanguagewasputtoprintinNewEchotawhenanewspapertheCherokeePhoenixwentonpressinbothCherokeeandEnglish.Thepaperx19sfoundingeditorEliasBoudinotaCherokeewhowasbornneartheNewEchotasiteandformerlyeducatedinConnecticutreturnedtohishomelandtostartthepaperinwhichheexpressedhisviewfavoringremovaloftheCherokeestoalandwestoftheMississippi.In1939aftermostoftheCherokeehadbeenforcedtoIndianTerritorynowOkla-homaBoudinotwasassassinatedbecauseofhisstandfavoringremoval.SamuelWorcestercametoNewEchotaasamissionarytotheCherokee.HepartneredwithEliasBoudinottoestablishtheCherokeePhoenixsecuringfundstobuildtheprintingbuildingandtopurchasetheprintingpressandink.WorchestereventuallymovedtoIndianTerritoryandcontinuedhisworkasamissionarytotheCherokees.Thxbex12dofnxbwechotaasthxbChxbrokxbxbnatiox12x19sCapitalNewEchotawastheCherokeecapitolforapproximate-ly10years.In1832Georgiax19sSixthLandLotterygaveCherokeelandtowhitesettlers.TheGeorgiaGuardmovedintoNewEchotaanddestroyedtheprintingpress.CouncilmeetingsweremovedtoRedClayatowninwhatisnowbyJudyLeJeunephotographybytheGeorgiaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesNewEchotaWorcesterHouseSTATEHISTORICSITENewEchota