Sequoyah: Cherokee Syllabary

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Sequoyah Biography
Sequoyah(or Sequoiah, and George Gist or Guess) was a Cherokee silversmith. Sequoyah is known for creating a Cherokee syllabary. His invention made reading and writing in Cherokee feasible. It was an unprecedented case for a member of a pre-literate people independently created an effective writing system. His syllabary was officially adopted in 1825. Cherokee’s literacy rate dramatically rose and surpassed that of surrounding European-American settlers.
Sequoyah was born in Tuskegee in 1770. James Mooney, a well-known anthropologist and historian, stated that Sequoyah spent his childhood with his mother. Many asserts that his name comes from a Cherokee word siqua meaning hog. However, there are other opinions on the matter. …show more content…

However, he showed a good deal of congenital intelligence. He learned to make jewelry as he contacted more white men. Then he ended up becoming a silversmith. He was known for creating various items, but none of the work is identifiable because he never signed his creation.
Sequoyah moved to Alabama from Tennessee. Although the date is not yet substantiated, it is thought that the migration happened before 1809. In 1813-14, Sequoyah served as a warrior of the Cherokee Regiment at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend against the “Red Sticks”(Creek, or Muskogee, renegades).
It is known that Sequoyah began to create the Cherokee language writing system around 1809. To focus on the invention, he left his fields unplanted. He at first sought to create symbols for each words, but he knew it was unpractical for there would be too many to memorize. After about a month, he was with 86 characters. Latin letters had an influence on his system.
He taught the syllabary to his daughter, because no adults were interested in learning it. Sequoyah travelled and attempted to convince the tribal leaders of the syllabary’s usefulness. He was doubted at first. However, he proved its validity by having his daughter read the words that the leaders said. Sequoyah was awarded by the tribe with a large silver medal. The new syllabary was spread

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