1821: Sequoyah’s syllabary makes written Cherokee possible

Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith in northeast Alabama, often works for white settlers and is impressed by the written English language, which the Cherokee call “talking leaves.” He sets out to create a Cherokee writing system, deciding after several attempts to draw a symbol for each syllable in the spoken language. He publishes his Cherokee Agayuh, or syllabary, in 1821. It helps the Cherokee maintain their language despite forced assimilation.

Theme

Land and Water

Region

Southeast