To explain some of the ‘alphabet soup’ you see, I am going to take two
men with a birth date close to your William Rogers and explain the data….
_/Example 1/_
CHER, FRR, Rogers, William, 21, 1879, M, NR, FRR963, NR
CHER – Cherokee Tribe, CHOC – Choctaw, DEL – Delaware, OS – Osage
NOTE – the Cherokee Dawes Roll initially listed these Tribes separately,
but the Delaware and Osage were combined with the Cherokee on the Final
Dawes Roll in 1917.
FRR – FR – FreedMan, R– Rejected, D - Doubtful
Name -Rogers, William
Age 21, at the time of application
Born ~1879 (estimated based on the average date of Tribal application 1900)
Male
Blood quanta – NR - Not Recorded
Census Card #FRR963
Roll # NR - Not Recorded
Using his Census Card # FRR963, I find on my CD, that his father was
Charley Rogers. His mothers name was not listed on the Census Card. He
did not list a spouse, minor siblings, or any children on his
application. This means he was probably living alone.
_/Example 2/_
CHER, BB, Rogers, William P, 20, 1880, M, ¼, 4747, 11384
CHER – Cherokee Tribe
BB – By Blood (born Cherokee)
Rogers, William P
Age 20, at time of application
Born ~ 1880
Male
1/4 blood
Census Card #4747
Roll #11384
Using his Census Card #4747, I find on my CD, that his parents were
Clement V and Mary Rogers, and his father Clement was still alive and
living with him. Clem V Rogers and Mary Rogers matches up with the
family information I found on my ancestors death certificate. William’s
estimated date of birth was listed as 1880 instead of 1879, so his
family probably applied for the Rolls in 1899 or, he was only 19 ½ years
old when the application was filed, not yet 20 years old.
This is the ancestor I was looking for, and he was on the Dawes Roll.
With the birth and death certificates I have collected, I can apply for
Tribal membership with the Cherokee Nation, apply for a Certified Degree
of Indian Blood Card (CDIB) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and
I can order several personal documents including a fairly complete
family history of my ancestor from the US National Archives, by using
his Dawes Roll number or his Census Card number.
Additional information on this Census Card, shows Clement V Rogers was
61 in 1900, born ~1839, also ¼ blood Cherokee, Dawes Roll #11383, and
was living in Claremore, Oklahoma when he applied. His wife Mary
Schrimsher did not have a date of birth listed because she had died
prior to the enrollment date.
His census card showed no other children living at home and William was
not listed with a wife or children of his own. I checked other ‘family
records’ and find that his child that I am descended from was born in
1909, so William was not married at the time of the Dawes Roll in 1900.
However, by analysis of his parents Census Card Numbers I can see all of
their other children who claimed them as parents when these children
filed their own Dawes Roll Applications.
CLEM V ROGERS is listed as a ‘Parent’ of these Census Card numbers 4899,
5461, and 5630.
Searching my CD for Cherokee Census Card numbers I find –
Census Card #4899 belonged to a married daughter May Rogers, a resident
of Talala, OK
Stine May 27 1873 F 1/4 11696
Yocum John V 7 1893 M 1/8 11697
Stine Edward J 1 1899 M 1/8 11698
Stine Frank ( father of Edward Stine)
Yocum Matt (father of John V Yokum)
May Stine listed her parents as Clement V and Mary Rogers. She was born
~1873, she had married Matt Yocum and had a son John V Yocum in 1893,
then she married Frank Stine and had a son Edward J Stine in 1899. She
and her children were registered on the Dawes Roll, she was 1/4 blood,
her children were 1/8th blood and her husbands blood quanta, dates of
birth etc were not listed. This indicates they were probably white men.
Census Card #5461 belonged to a married daughter Sallie Rogers -
McSpadden John T 48 1852 M IW 175
McSpadden Sallie C 36 1864 F 1/16 13071
McSpadden Clem M 13 1887 M 1/32 13072
McSpadden Maud I 4 1896 F 1/32 13075
McSpadden May 9 1891 F 1/32 13073
McSpadden Herbert T 7 1893 M 1/32 13074
McSpadden Helen 1 1899 F 1/32 13076
McSpadden Pauline 1 1899 F 1/32 13077
McSpadden Tom (father of John T McSpadden)
McSpadden Elizabeth J (mother of John T McSpadden)
Sallie C Rogers was born ~1864, married a White man John T McSpadden,
b~1852 (listed as IW = Intermarried White) and had several children
(listed above) and was living in Chelsea, OK in 1900. Her husband was
initially issued an “Intermarried White” Dawes Roll #IW-175. In 1917,
when the Dawes Roll was finalized, the government 'Struck' the names of
Intermarried Whites who had not married Cherokees prior to 1875, so his
name will not appear on the Final Roll. Sallie could have claimed ¼
blood but probably not absolutely sure of her parents blood quanta, she
just put down 1/16th.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Using the Dawes Rolls to find your Cherokee ancestor - 3 -
Monday, April 7, 2008
Using the Dawes Rolls to find your Cherokee ancestor - 2 -
Now go to the Dawes Rolls and search for William Rogers. I use my CD on “The Five Civilized Tribes – Dawes Rolls Applications” because everybody is listed alphabetically with estimated dates of birth, Tribal affiliation, degree of blood, Roll numbers and their Census Card Numbers. With Census Card numbers, you can discover every member of the family that was living together when the Dawes application was taken (1896 to 1902).
This CD covers Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole Tribes and the Adopted or Assimilated Delaware, Osage, Shawnee Tribal members as well as white spouses (Intermarried Whites) and Assimilated FreedMen (ex-slaves that had been adopted by the various Indian Nations). The CD covers everybody who was listed on any application, even if they were a dead parent, or the applicant was Rejected, found Doubtful, or even Stricken from the final Roll.
This copyrighted CD is available for $27 on my web site at
www.CherokeeByBlood.com/cd.htm
If you are fortunate, you may find a copy of the Final Dawes Roll on the web. It is 650 pages long and is listed by Tribe and Dawes Roll Number. It will drive you nuts or blind while searching for each person named William Rogers, then researching the entire Tribal listing for matching Census Card numbers to see who their family members were. Just imagine your local phone book being listed in numerical sequence instead of alphabetical order.
Findings - William Rogers listed on the Dawes Rolls (25 individuals)
This data is in the following order - Tribe, Application Type, Name, Age at time of Application, approximate Year of birth, Sex, Blood quanta, Census Card #, Roll #, District of residence
CHER BB Rogers William C 51 1849 M 1/4 6199 14781
CHER BB Rogers William R 42 1858 M 1/4 5445 13038
CHER BB Rogers William H 37 1863 M 1/8 3172 28707
CHER BB Rogers William G 35 1865 M 1/4 4236 10205
CHER BB Rogers William 32 1870 M 3/4 9205 21015
CREK BB Rogers William P 28 1872 M 7/8 24 89
CHER F Rogers William 26 1874 M NR F1505 4123
CHER FD Rogers William 26 1874 M FD806
CHOC BB Rogers William F 25 1875 M 3/32 1774 5030
CHER BB Rogers William O 25 1875 M 1/4 4655 11159
CHER F Rogers William 25 1875 M F584 1470
CHER FD Rogers William 21 1879 M FD652
CHER FRR Rogers William 21 1879 M NR FRR963 NR
CHER BB Rogers William P 20 1880 M 1/4 4747 11384
CHER BB Rogers William M 15 1885 M 1/8 831 22687
CHER BB Rogers William E 11 1889 M 1/16 2963 23699
CHER BB Rogers William P 9 1891 M 1/4 1035 2827
CHER AD Rogers William E 6 1894 M 3/8 10469 31111
DEL OS Rogers William E 6 1894 M 3/8 OS88 NR
CHER BB Rogers William L 5 1895 M 1/16 2829 7093
CHER BB Rogers William 4 1896 M 1/2 1880 4976
CHER BB Rogers William Jr 3 1897 M 1/8 6199 14782
CHER M Rogers William Penn 3 1903 M FULL M2405 2684
CHER M Rogers William E 2 1904 M 1/16 M2878 3328
CHOC BB Rogers William F Jr 1 1899 M 3/64 1774 5031
Start ‘thinning the herd’ by rejecting those that are way too old or way too young. I typically use a spread of ± 10 years because the estimated dates of birth are ESTIMATES based on an ASSUMED average date of application of 1900.
Those William Rogers born about 1869 to 1889 (1979 ± 10 years)
CHER FD Rogers William 26 1874 M FD806
CHOC BB Rogers William F 25 1875 M 3/32 1774 5030
CHER BB Rogers William O 25 1875 M 1/4 4655 11159
CHER F Rogers William 25 1875 M F584 1470
CHER FD Rogers William 21 1879 M FD652
CHER FRR Rogers William 21 1879 M NR FRR963 NR
CHER BB Rogers William P 20 1880 M 1/4 4747 11384
CHER BB Rogers William M 15 1885 M 1/8 831 22687
CHER BB Rogers William E 11 1889 M 1/16 2963 23699
Now I have only 9 ‘likely suspects’ and I am going to solve this puzzle with ‘forensic genealogy’ or a ‘family fingerprint’. I will compare the names of his parents, spouses, and any children born before the application date.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Using the Dawes Rolls to find your Cherokee ancestor - 1 -
Start a ‘Family Tree’ or ‘Pedigree Chart’ and fill in the names, dates and places of birth of your parents, then your grandparents, and your great grandparents. You need to go back far enough to find your ancestors that were living at the time of the Dawes Roll (1900-1906). The Dawes Roll covered the modern day states of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The
Tribes or Indian Nations that were included were Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole.
The Cherokee Roll included Adopted or Assimilated Delaware, Osage, and Shawnee who had married into one of the other Tribes and were living in that area. The Roll included Assimilated or Adopted FreedMen who were ex-slaves, mulattoes, and other ‘mixed bloods’ that were generally called “Black Indians”. Whites who had married into the various Tribes prior to 1875, were listed under the individual Tribes as “Intermarried Whites”. Whites that married an Indian after 1875 were initially given
Roll Numbers which were ‘Stricken From The Roll’ before final publication in 1917.
Thousands of Indian families applied for the Dawes Roll but were classified as Doubtful or Rejected on the Final Roll. Generally speaking, these people were ‘stricken’ because the government could not identify their ancestors on one of the earlier ‘qualifying Rolls’. In many cases, it was simply a matter of spelling of the family name or the name their ancestor was using at home did not match their ‘legal’ name
listed on earlier records. All of these people and the ‘Stricken’ Intermarried Whites are listed on the Dawes Applications Rolls which is available on a CD.
Search for information by asking your relatives to help you with the information and collect birth and or death certificates. These documents show the names of the person’s parents. Bible records, church records, cemetery records, military service records, obituaries, wills and other court documents will reinforce the data you find.
Warning, some of your elder relatives might resent your asking about Indian ancestors. Strong Anti-Indian laws were in effect from 1840 to 1935 that were primarily designed to force Indians to live on Reservations. Some of your elder relatives may have had this discrimination taught to them as children. My advice is not to mention Indian ancestors unless your relative says it first.
In this pile of information you collected, you discover you are descended from a William Penn Rogers that was born in Oklahoma in 1879. Oklahoma was where the Five Civilized Tribes were living at the time, and 1879 was before the Dawes Roll, so he is a ‘good candidate’ for being on the Dawes Roll. From his death certificate, you find his parent’s names were Clement Vann Rogers and Mary America Schrimsher.
- to be continued -
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
How to Start Your Cherokee Search -3-
Most Counties recorded Birth and Deaths at the "County Seat" as far back as 1850. These old records were stored in the Court House basement where these paper records, with water soluble ink, slowly rotted away. In the years before electricity, the county clerks reviewed these records with kerosene lanterns or open candles, just begging for a fire. I suppose you have heard the term "100 year flood". Since 1850, nearly every county court house in the country has had some sort of flood in their basement.
A County record can be used to fill in the Pedigree Chart. If you find your ancestors on the ‘Right Roll’ that would enable you to apply for Tribal membership, a County record is not permissible. The Tribe and the BIA require a State Certified certificate as 'proof of descent', but there are loopholes and ways around this requirement. A few of my clients have been able to get County Clerks to present the data from earlier birth records to officials in local State offices and have the information transcribed to official State embossed paper, and use those documents as their ‘proof’. The Bureau of Indian Affairs say these birth and death records must be on official State stationary (embossed or with a Raised Seal) that is not subject to editing. A black and white photo copy can be edited, but the embossed State papers cannot.
If you are not collecting genealogical information for Tribal Membership, then you do not need official Birth and Death certificates. They may be ‘nice to have’ as in many cases, they are the only ‘official records’ of your ancestor’s existence.
A ‘*Back Door*’ to Native American family history
If you cannot find direct evidence of your direct ancestors (grandparents, great grandparents, etc) on the official Rolls, it can be helpful to find their siblings or other close family members, since a sibling’s or cousin’s family history will be the same as your branch of the family. Additional sources for finding your ancestors or their siblings can be found in several Cherokee genealogy books, written by Cherokees for Cherokees, between 1825 and 1900, when the information was still 'fresh' in the memory of the elder ladies of the Tribe.
In some cases, you will only be able to find people with the same Family name, that were living in the same State or town as your ancestors, who applied for one of the Rolls. Since people in this period tended to travel in 'packs' and living close to a relative was essential for farm labor and health care, these people will be Kin-Folk to your relatives, and their family history will be nearly the same as yours.
When people Applied for these Rolls, they had to submit the names and birth dates of their parents and their grandparents, and where they were born or living in 1850. They also had to submit letters stating their family history and a connection to the Cherokee Nation. All of their information is still on-file in the National Archives (only in Washington DC and Fort Worth, Texas). Photo-copies can be ordered for as little as $10 for each Application Number or Roll Number, which will include all of the members of the family living under the same roof.
In the case of the Miler Roll of Eastern Cherokees, the applicants listed names, dates of birth and residences of their siblings, married children, children living at home, their parents, their grandparents, their spouse and his immediate family. Quite often, you can find several people with your family name who were living in the same county as your ancestors in 1906. These people are most likely siblings or cousins of your ancestors
Not everyone applied for these Rolls. Many Cherokees disagreed with the terms of the Treaties and thought by ‘picketing’ they could force the government to grant better conditions. Others simply disagreed on political grounds, lived in the wrong State or Territory, or misspelled their ancestors family name. Other people thought some of these government Rolls were scams to trick them into identifying themselves so they could be rounded up and exiled to a reservation.
A County record can be used to fill in the Pedigree Chart. If you find your ancestors on the ‘Right Roll’ that would enable you to apply for Tribal membership, a County record is not permissible. The Tribe and the BIA require a State Certified certificate as 'proof of descent', but there are loopholes and ways around this requirement. A few of my clients have been able to get County Clerks to present the data from earlier birth records to officials in local State offices and have the information transcribed to official State embossed paper, and use those documents as their ‘proof’. The Bureau of Indian Affairs say these birth and death records must be on official State stationary (embossed or with a Raised Seal) that is not subject to editing. A black and white photo copy can be edited, but the embossed State papers cannot.
If you are not collecting genealogical information for Tribal Membership, then you do not need official Birth and Death certificates. They may be ‘nice to have’ as in many cases, they are the only ‘official records’ of your ancestor’s existence.
A ‘*Back Door*’ to Native American family history
If you cannot find direct evidence of your direct ancestors (grandparents, great grandparents, etc) on the official Rolls, it can be helpful to find their siblings or other close family members, since a sibling’s or cousin’s family history will be the same as your branch of the family. Additional sources for finding your ancestors or their siblings can be found in several Cherokee genealogy books, written by Cherokees for Cherokees, between 1825 and 1900, when the information was still 'fresh' in the memory of the elder ladies of the Tribe.
In some cases, you will only be able to find people with the same Family name, that were living in the same State or town as your ancestors, who applied for one of the Rolls. Since people in this period tended to travel in 'packs' and living close to a relative was essential for farm labor and health care, these people will be Kin-Folk to your relatives, and their family history will be nearly the same as yours.
When people Applied for these Rolls, they had to submit the names and birth dates of their parents and their grandparents, and where they were born or living in 1850. They also had to submit letters stating their family history and a connection to the Cherokee Nation. All of their information is still on-file in the National Archives (only in Washington DC and Fort Worth, Texas). Photo-copies can be ordered for as little as $10 for each Application Number or Roll Number, which will include all of the members of the family living under the same roof.
In the case of the Miler Roll of Eastern Cherokees, the applicants listed names, dates of birth and residences of their siblings, married children, children living at home, their parents, their grandparents, their spouse and his immediate family. Quite often, you can find several people with your family name who were living in the same county as your ancestors in 1906. These people are most likely siblings or cousins of your ancestors
Not everyone applied for these Rolls. Many Cherokees disagreed with the terms of the Treaties and thought by ‘picketing’ they could force the government to grant better conditions. Others simply disagreed on political grounds, lived in the wrong State or Territory, or misspelled their ancestors family name. Other people thought some of these government Rolls were scams to trick them into identifying themselves so they could be rounded up and exiled to a reservation.
Monday, February 25, 2008
How to Start Your Cherokee Search -2-
Cemetery and Church records can be a big help. In some cases, cemetery records will show all the members of a family that are in that cemetery and their relationships to each other. Some tombstones will have inscriptions listing family relationship. From these records, dates and places of death will enable you to order death certificates or will assist you while scouring County records.
Beware of Census Records. Prior to 1850, these records only listed the name of the Head of the House with all other family members reduced to statistics. 1850 was the first year that each family members name and age was recorded. Spelling of names vary tremendously from one census to the next. In some cases, a John Bedford Phipps would be listed as John, Jim or James, or Bedford, using his middle name instead of his given name. Phipps could be spelled Phips, Fips, Fipps or Fitts. Since most people in the US were illiterate, they had no idea how to spell their name and it was up to the census taker to write it down the best way they could.
Around 1850, it became obvious to the census takers that most people had no idea what year they were born in or exactly how old they were. The census takers were instructed to put down how old they looked. When you find gross inconsistencies between one census and the next, be aware that when the census takers ‘came calling’ families were not very forthcoming with what they considered as ‘personal information’. In most cases, if a family was not at home, the census taker would collect the information from their next door neighbor. This was done under the assumption that neighbors were closely related or intimately familiar with each other.
If you can locate Social Security numbers for any deceased ancestor, write the info down on the Pedigree Chart or in an associated file. Please do not record social security numbers for living persons, as it can lead to identity theft if the file is lost or accidentally disposed of. When people apply for a Social Security Card, they have to fill out an application on a "Form-5" and list their parent’s names and their dates and places of birth. Any local social security office can process your request for an ancestors Form-5, or can give you’re the proper form and an address to contact.
If your ancestor’s family applied for any Death Benefits, burial assistance, financial support for minor children, support for an elderly spouse, etc, there will be a record of them in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), which is on-line. Just type SSDI into your search engine. If you find an ancestor on this list, the information on their death will enable you to order a copy of their SS Form-5 or and/or a copy of their death certificate from the state archives.
If Birth or Death Certificates need to be ordered, most on-line SSDI sites have listings of the Bureau of Vital Statistics offices for most states. Under recent provisions of the Patriot Act, only a blood relative can order copies of these documents. You typically need to include a photo copy of your drivers license with your request and specify how you are related to the person.
Death certificates are important as they will list the persons age and year of death, so it is easy to calculate their Year of Birth. Most importantly, this certificate will show the names of their parents, and usually the maiden name of their mother. Birth and Death Certificates were not kept by most states until they were mandated by federal law in 1920. If an ancestor was born before 1920, there will be no Birth Certificate at the State level, but there will probably be a Death Certificate.
Beware of Census Records. Prior to 1850, these records only listed the name of the Head of the House with all other family members reduced to statistics. 1850 was the first year that each family members name and age was recorded. Spelling of names vary tremendously from one census to the next. In some cases, a John Bedford Phipps would be listed as John, Jim or James, or Bedford, using his middle name instead of his given name. Phipps could be spelled Phips, Fips, Fipps or Fitts. Since most people in the US were illiterate, they had no idea how to spell their name and it was up to the census taker to write it down the best way they could.
Around 1850, it became obvious to the census takers that most people had no idea what year they were born in or exactly how old they were. The census takers were instructed to put down how old they looked. When you find gross inconsistencies between one census and the next, be aware that when the census takers ‘came calling’ families were not very forthcoming with what they considered as ‘personal information’. In most cases, if a family was not at home, the census taker would collect the information from their next door neighbor. This was done under the assumption that neighbors were closely related or intimately familiar with each other.
If you can locate Social Security numbers for any deceased ancestor, write the info down on the Pedigree Chart or in an associated file. Please do not record social security numbers for living persons, as it can lead to identity theft if the file is lost or accidentally disposed of. When people apply for a Social Security Card, they have to fill out an application on a "Form-5" and list their parent’s names and their dates and places of birth. Any local social security office can process your request for an ancestors Form-5, or can give you’re the proper form and an address to contact.
If your ancestor’s family applied for any Death Benefits, burial assistance, financial support for minor children, support for an elderly spouse, etc, there will be a record of them in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), which is on-line. Just type SSDI into your search engine. If you find an ancestor on this list, the information on their death will enable you to order a copy of their SS Form-5 or and/or a copy of their death certificate from the state archives.
If Birth or Death Certificates need to be ordered, most on-line SSDI sites have listings of the Bureau of Vital Statistics offices for most states. Under recent provisions of the Patriot Act, only a blood relative can order copies of these documents. You typically need to include a photo copy of your drivers license with your request and specify how you are related to the person.
Death certificates are important as they will list the persons age and year of death, so it is easy to calculate their Year of Birth. Most importantly, this certificate will show the names of their parents, and usually the maiden name of their mother. Birth and Death Certificates were not kept by most states until they were mandated by federal law in 1920. If an ancestor was born before 1920, there will be no Birth Certificate at the State level, but there will probably be a Death Certificate.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
How to Start Your Cherokee Search -1-
Like any other search, you have to start with what you know. Start by filling out a Pedigree Chart or a simple Family Tree, filling in as many blanks as possible with names, Year of Birth, State or Territory of Birth, Year and State of death. Go as far back as you can, then enlist the help of elder female relatives to help fill in the blanks back to your ancestors that were alive in 1900-1924.
These are important dates for Cherokees and many other Tribes, as the government held Final Treaties with the Indians during this period. Volumes of information are recorded in Official Records from this period.
The major Cherokee Treaty Rolls of this period were -
Dawes Roll of 1896-1905 in Oklahoma and surrounding states
Miller Roll of Eastern Cherokees (whole US) 1906-1909
Baker Roll of the Eastern Band in North Carolina 1924
Most people only registered on one of these Rolls, but some families applied to all of them, as the government was being very slow in awarding Cherokees Citizenship and settling land claims. The Dawes Roll was 'closed' in 1906 (no additions except by Act of Congress), but the Final Roll issuing Citizenship rights and issuing land was not completed until 1917. Some people felt they had been overlooked and registered on other Rolls as they became available.
I recommend asking your female relatives for help in this project, as the ladies tend to remember family history the way men remember sports trivia. While speaking with your elder relatives on family history, Do NOT mention Indian or Cherokee or any other Tribe, unless they bring the subject up first. The reason for this is deeply rooted in Anti-Indian prejudice formulated by the federal government to drive the remaining Indians onto existing Reservations. The Anti-Indian Laws of the period were enforced from 1830 to 1935. Any Indian 'discovered' living “Off the Reservation”, was arrested and exiled to the nearest reservation. An Indian could be murdered for the color of his skin, and the murder would not be investigated. Some of your older relatives may be old enough to have heard stories from their parents or grandparents when they were children, and old habits die hard.
Typically, older female relatives are thrilled that someone in the 'current generation' is interested in family history, and are willing to talk and help you with the Family Tree. While interviewing them, be sure to ask
If they have copies of any Land Deeds, Wills, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, obituaries, books written about family members, or the old Family Bible, and old “Family Trunk” handed down by Grandma, scrapbooks, old photos, etc.
Ask if they know of a 'distant cousin' who is doing the family tree, or is the "Family Historian". Ask about Family Reunions, as there are typically one or more Family Historians at these functions who are willing to share their information. It makes them feel important, so be nice to them. (to be continued)
These are important dates for Cherokees and many other Tribes, as the government held Final Treaties with the Indians during this period. Volumes of information are recorded in Official Records from this period.
The major Cherokee Treaty Rolls of this period were -
Dawes Roll of 1896-1905 in Oklahoma and surrounding states
Miller Roll of Eastern Cherokees (whole US) 1906-1909
Baker Roll of the Eastern Band in North Carolina 1924
Most people only registered on one of these Rolls, but some families applied to all of them, as the government was being very slow in awarding Cherokees Citizenship and settling land claims. The Dawes Roll was 'closed' in 1906 (no additions except by Act of Congress), but the Final Roll issuing Citizenship rights and issuing land was not completed until 1917. Some people felt they had been overlooked and registered on other Rolls as they became available.
I recommend asking your female relatives for help in this project, as the ladies tend to remember family history the way men remember sports trivia. While speaking with your elder relatives on family history, Do NOT mention Indian or Cherokee or any other Tribe, unless they bring the subject up first. The reason for this is deeply rooted in Anti-Indian prejudice formulated by the federal government to drive the remaining Indians onto existing Reservations. The Anti-Indian Laws of the period were enforced from 1830 to 1935. Any Indian 'discovered' living “Off the Reservation”, was arrested and exiled to the nearest reservation. An Indian could be murdered for the color of his skin, and the murder would not be investigated. Some of your older relatives may be old enough to have heard stories from their parents or grandparents when they were children, and old habits die hard.
Typically, older female relatives are thrilled that someone in the 'current generation' is interested in family history, and are willing to talk and help you with the Family Tree. While interviewing them, be sure to ask
If they have copies of any Land Deeds, Wills, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, obituaries, books written about family members, or the old Family Bible, and old “Family Trunk” handed down by Grandma, scrapbooks, old photos, etc.
Ask if they know of a 'distant cousin' who is doing the family tree, or is the "Family Historian". Ask about Family Reunions, as there are typically one or more Family Historians at these functions who are willing to share their information. It makes them feel important, so be nice to them. (to be continued)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Early Records – What are the ROLLS? - Last part
Cherokees who were living in (Oklahoma Territory) Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Texas and Louisiana registered on the Dawes Roll between 1896 and 1902. The Cherokee Citizenship Rolls of 1886 were used as a beginning and these people on this Roll do not have a ‘postal district’ recorded on the Final Roll. All other Cherokees had the postal district listed where they made their application.
Choctaw Indians also had a large contingent that was still living in Mississippi. They are recorded on the Dawes Roll under Choctaw – MCR (Mississippi Choctaw Restricted) status. This is because their names were recorded between 1880 to 1890, with the expectations that they were to relocate to Oklahoma before 1900. The people on the MCR list remained in Mississippi through 1900 and most of them were ‘stricken’ from the Final Dawes Roll’.
Census Cards, or ‘field cards’ were filed out by the white registrars, showing the persons name, their age (or apparent age) at the time of registration, their sex, and blood quanta. They also listed this data for their spouse and any minor children still living at home. Unmarried older daughters (spinsters) were allowed to be listed on the Census Card of their parents. Married children and sons over the age of 17 were required to file separately, with married daughters being listed under their married names. Each applicant and their spouse were required to list their parent’s names.
Each Census Card had a unique serial number that captured a ‘snapshot’ of the family as it was at the time of registration. The Dawes Commission then scanned the Drennen Roll and the Old Settlers Roll to identify the names of the applicant’s parents. If the parents name was not readily apparent, the applicant was classified as ‘doubtful’ and was required to appear in court with witnesses, to determine if they were entitles to ‘free land’.
Blood quanta numbers were not subject to verification. However, any Cherokee that registered as half-blood to full-blood was considered to ignorant to manage their own affairs. The government appointed a white ‘overseer’ to each of these families to tend to the business aspect of their farms. Most of these overseers were ex-slavers and treated the Cherokee families as their slaves, running the farm into false bankruptcy with faked bank documents, and then selling the farm to their accomplices for pennies on the dollar. When this trend became apparent, other Cherokees with high blood quanta began registering with lower numbers. This was not a problem as far as the Tribe was concerned, as there was no minimum blood quanta. There is still no minimum blood quanta requirement for new members, but you must have a direct ancestor on the Final Dawes Roll.
Several categories of people were not allowed to register, were considered doubtful of Indian ancestry, or were simply ‘Stricken’ from the Final Roll when it was published in 1917. This group included parents of Dawes Applicants unless they registered separately, Intermarried Whites that had married after 1875, anyone who’s ancestors were not listed on the Old Settlers Roll or the Drennen Roll, anyone who missed the registration deadline, everyone who had left Oklahoma Territory after 1850 and had not returned by 1880. Continuous residence in New Indian Territory from 1850 to 1900 was a requirement for Dawes Roll registration. The Cherokee National Census (West) of 1880 was used as a qualifying document.
Tens of thousands of Cherokees refused to make an application to the Dawes Roll. The main reason for this was the Dawes was the result of another Treaty where the Cherokees lost several million acres of land that the government wanted for settlers, railroads, and oil exploration. In the Treaty of 1846, the Cherokee Nation was granted all of the land south of the Missouri River to the northern border of Texas, from the Rocky Mountains (Continental Divide) to the Mississippi River.
During the US Civil War, the Cherokees were active in the Confederacy and in the Union, but the government declared that the Cherokee Nation had succeeded from the Union and all previous Treaties were voided. The New Treaty that resulted in the Dawes Roll, restricted the Cherokee land to the North Eastern five county area of Oklahoma. Cherokee Chiefs that refused to sign this new Treaty were imprisoned or murdered.
According to my research, the Dawes Commission only needed a ‘simple majority’ (51%) of Cherokee Chiefs to sign the Treaty for it to become law. If a person or family refused to make an application, they and their descendants were forever banned from becoming members of the Tribe or even being allowed to call themselves Cherokee. Government estimates say that only about half of the eligible Cherokees who were living in Oklahoma Territory, actually applied for the Dawes Roll.
The most common form of the Dawes Roll was a ‘government friendly’ list that was in numerical order. There have been attempts to alphabetize the Final Dawes Roll, but they scatter family members and make it very difficult to determine which of the people on the Roll with the same name, are your ancestors. The only realistic way to find out which ‘John Smith’ was your ancestor, is to compare their year of birth against family records, and then sort through 640 pages of tiny print.
While noting ‘likely suspects’ in your ancestor hunt, you must record their individual Census Card numbers. This is the KEY to the Dawes Roll. Since they did not have addresses as such, their Census Card numbers serve that purpose. You literally have to go through the Dawes Roll again and again and note the names and ages of everyone with the same Census Card number as your list of ‘likely suspects’.
Breakthrough…. The entire Dawes Roll, all Five Civilized Tribes, has been alphabetized, years of birth calculated based on their age and their date of registration, and their Census card numbers recorded in an easy to use CD. By sorting everyone by Tribe and Census Card number, and putting the Census Cards in numerical order, entire families have been reassembled as they first appeared on the original Census Card. The family lists include both spouses even if only one was still alive, spouses and applicants parents names, spouses maiden names, children’s names and birth years for those born before the application date and still living at home, and parents of the children if they were from a different parent via divorce or remarriage, adopted cousin, etc. These listings also show all applicants even if they were later declared doubtful, rejected, or ‘stricken’ from the Final Roll that was published in 1917. It also includes people that were added as late as 1914-1915 by an Act of Congress, as a result of applications for the Miller Roll of Eastern Cherokees in 1906.
The US government had commissioned this study, but during the bidding process the project was dropped due to budgetary constraints. My wife and I spent 7 years compiling this information and checking it for accuracy. This CD makes looking up a Cherokee ancestor, or member of another ‘civilized Tribe’ as easy as using a phone book. There are over 250,000 names on this CD with connections to at least one other person on the Dawes Roll or the earlier Drennen or Old Settlers Rolls.
For a description of the CD and examples of research, please go to my web site Cherokee by blood. This CD is currently being sold over the internet or by mail order for $27.00, flat rate with shipping expenses included,
Choctaw Indians also had a large contingent that was still living in Mississippi. They are recorded on the Dawes Roll under Choctaw – MCR (Mississippi Choctaw Restricted) status. This is because their names were recorded between 1880 to 1890, with the expectations that they were to relocate to Oklahoma before 1900. The people on the MCR list remained in Mississippi through 1900 and most of them were ‘stricken’ from the Final Dawes Roll’.
Census Cards, or ‘field cards’ were filed out by the white registrars, showing the persons name, their age (or apparent age) at the time of registration, their sex, and blood quanta. They also listed this data for their spouse and any minor children still living at home. Unmarried older daughters (spinsters) were allowed to be listed on the Census Card of their parents. Married children and sons over the age of 17 were required to file separately, with married daughters being listed under their married names. Each applicant and their spouse were required to list their parent’s names.
Each Census Card had a unique serial number that captured a ‘snapshot’ of the family as it was at the time of registration. The Dawes Commission then scanned the Drennen Roll and the Old Settlers Roll to identify the names of the applicant’s parents. If the parents name was not readily apparent, the applicant was classified as ‘doubtful’ and was required to appear in court with witnesses, to determine if they were entitles to ‘free land’.
Blood quanta numbers were not subject to verification. However, any Cherokee that registered as half-blood to full-blood was considered to ignorant to manage their own affairs. The government appointed a white ‘overseer’ to each of these families to tend to the business aspect of their farms. Most of these overseers were ex-slavers and treated the Cherokee families as their slaves, running the farm into false bankruptcy with faked bank documents, and then selling the farm to their accomplices for pennies on the dollar. When this trend became apparent, other Cherokees with high blood quanta began registering with lower numbers. This was not a problem as far as the Tribe was concerned, as there was no minimum blood quanta. There is still no minimum blood quanta requirement for new members, but you must have a direct ancestor on the Final Dawes Roll.
Several categories of people were not allowed to register, were considered doubtful of Indian ancestry, or were simply ‘Stricken’ from the Final Roll when it was published in 1917. This group included parents of Dawes Applicants unless they registered separately, Intermarried Whites that had married after 1875, anyone who’s ancestors were not listed on the Old Settlers Roll or the Drennen Roll, anyone who missed the registration deadline, everyone who had left Oklahoma Territory after 1850 and had not returned by 1880. Continuous residence in New Indian Territory from 1850 to 1900 was a requirement for Dawes Roll registration. The Cherokee National Census (West) of 1880 was used as a qualifying document.
Tens of thousands of Cherokees refused to make an application to the Dawes Roll. The main reason for this was the Dawes was the result of another Treaty where the Cherokees lost several million acres of land that the government wanted for settlers, railroads, and oil exploration. In the Treaty of 1846, the Cherokee Nation was granted all of the land south of the Missouri River to the northern border of Texas, from the Rocky Mountains (Continental Divide) to the Mississippi River.
During the US Civil War, the Cherokees were active in the Confederacy and in the Union, but the government declared that the Cherokee Nation had succeeded from the Union and all previous Treaties were voided. The New Treaty that resulted in the Dawes Roll, restricted the Cherokee land to the North Eastern five county area of Oklahoma. Cherokee Chiefs that refused to sign this new Treaty were imprisoned or murdered.
According to my research, the Dawes Commission only needed a ‘simple majority’ (51%) of Cherokee Chiefs to sign the Treaty for it to become law. If a person or family refused to make an application, they and their descendants were forever banned from becoming members of the Tribe or even being allowed to call themselves Cherokee. Government estimates say that only about half of the eligible Cherokees who were living in Oklahoma Territory, actually applied for the Dawes Roll.
The most common form of the Dawes Roll was a ‘government friendly’ list that was in numerical order. There have been attempts to alphabetize the Final Dawes Roll, but they scatter family members and make it very difficult to determine which of the people on the Roll with the same name, are your ancestors. The only realistic way to find out which ‘John Smith’ was your ancestor, is to compare their year of birth against family records, and then sort through 640 pages of tiny print.
While noting ‘likely suspects’ in your ancestor hunt, you must record their individual Census Card numbers. This is the KEY to the Dawes Roll. Since they did not have addresses as such, their Census Card numbers serve that purpose. You literally have to go through the Dawes Roll again and again and note the names and ages of everyone with the same Census Card number as your list of ‘likely suspects’.
Breakthrough…. The entire Dawes Roll, all Five Civilized Tribes, has been alphabetized, years of birth calculated based on their age and their date of registration, and their Census card numbers recorded in an easy to use CD. By sorting everyone by Tribe and Census Card number, and putting the Census Cards in numerical order, entire families have been reassembled as they first appeared on the original Census Card. The family lists include both spouses even if only one was still alive, spouses and applicants parents names, spouses maiden names, children’s names and birth years for those born before the application date and still living at home, and parents of the children if they were from a different parent via divorce or remarriage, adopted cousin, etc. These listings also show all applicants even if they were later declared doubtful, rejected, or ‘stricken’ from the Final Roll that was published in 1917. It also includes people that were added as late as 1914-1915 by an Act of Congress, as a result of applications for the Miller Roll of Eastern Cherokees in 1906.
The US government had commissioned this study, but during the bidding process the project was dropped due to budgetary constraints. My wife and I spent 7 years compiling this information and checking it for accuracy. This CD makes looking up a Cherokee ancestor, or member of another ‘civilized Tribe’ as easy as using a phone book. There are over 250,000 names on this CD with connections to at least one other person on the Dawes Roll or the earlier Drennen or Old Settlers Rolls.
For a description of the CD and examples of research, please go to my web site Cherokee by blood. This CD is currently being sold over the internet or by mail order for $27.00, flat rate with shipping expenses included,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)