Daniel Sabin Butrick facts for kids

Daniel Sabin Butrick (born August 25, 1789 – died June 8, 1851) was a Christian minister. In 1817, he became a missionary for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). He spent 25 years working with the Cherokee Nation. Butrick faced many challenges during his time as a missionary. He is remembered for his notes about the Cherokee removal crisis and the Trail of Tears. His work helped create an important record of Cherokee culture.

What Was Indian Antiquities?

Butrick wrote "Indian Antiquities" in the 1830s. He did this because the Indian Removal Act threatened his mission to the Cherokee people. He wanted to show that the Cherokee ancestors were like the lost tribes of ancient Israel. This idea became very important to him. He hoped it would highlight the unfair treatment the Cherokee faced from Americans.

Butrick interviewed many Cherokee people. He wanted their stories to be published by his editor, John Howard Payne. Butrick believed that the Cherokee people were special. He hoped they would find hope in Jesus Christ during their forced move. "Indian Antiquities" was Butrick's way of connecting his faith with Cherokee traditions. He wanted to understand the world from the Cherokee point of view.

A shorter version of "Indian Antiquities" was published later. It was called Antiquities of the Cherokee Indians (1884). This book showed Butrick's close ties with Cherokee people. One important person was Thomas Nu:tsa:wi. These relationships show how Cherokee Christians helped create these important historical papers.

The full "Indian Antiquities" was not published while Butrick was alive. Payne did publish some of Butrick's work in an article in 1849. It was called "The Ancient Cherokee Traditions and Religious Rites." Editors thought Payne wanted to get public interest for his project.

Butrick stopped working with Payne in the early 1840s. After the Trail of Tears, Butrick felt sad and disappointed. But before he died in 1851, he became more hopeful. Historian David James Tackett said Butrick found peace. He was encouraged by his wife, Elizabeth Proctor Butrick. He also forgave others at the Brainerd Mission. He tried to restart his spiritual work among the Five Civilized Tribes.

Butrick's Important Writings

"Indian Antiquities" is the name of a specific manuscript. It is kept in the John Howard Payne Papers at Chicago's Newberry Library. Payne worked hard to put together Butrick's writings. But they were not fully published until 2010. This later work was called The Payne-Butrick Papers.

In 1849, Payne wrote an article about Butrick's "Indian Antiquities." He said it took a lot of study to understand the Cherokee's first beliefs. The amount of information Butrick collected was huge. The editors of The Payne-Butrick Papers (2010) said it was a challenging but interesting task to edit it.

Other papers also show Butrick's thoughts about his project. In the John Howard Payne Papers, Butrick's letters about "Indian Antiquities" are grouped:

• The first group of letters talks about how he did his research. It also describes the people who gave him information.
• The second group of letters covers problems he had with his sources. These letters also talk about Cherokee political issues.
• "Indian Antiquities" is a 125-page rough draft. Payne made it from Butrick's notes. It includes Cherokee sayings and traditions.
• "Notes on Cherokee Customs and Antiquities" is Payne's finished 104-page manuscript. It has two chapters with many smaller parts.

The Houghton Library also has many of Butrick's writings. These are in the Papers of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. They include his "Jews and Indians" manuscript. They also have his public and private journals. These thousands of pages show Butrick's religious and political ideas. The "Jews and Indians" manuscript helps understand "Indian Antiquities." The ABCFM likely received it after Butrick finished working with Payne.

Two published works came from the Payne-Butrick partnership. In 1849, Payne published an article about Cherokee history. It was called "The Ancient Cherokee Traditions and Religious Rites." In 1884, someone else published Butrick's "Antiquities of the Cherokee Indians."

Thomas Mails (1920–2001) studied the information in "Indian Antiquities." He said these materials are very special and long. He noted that almost every book about the Cherokee mentions this manuscript. He said it has the most important information about ancient Cherokee festivals.

Why Butrick's Work Matters Today

Many researchers who study Cherokee history know about Butrick's writings. It's interesting that Butrick once asked John Howard Payne: "Please, let none of this manuscript go from your hands; and if you think it will, on the whole conduce to evil more than good, you will oblige me by burning the whole instead of publishing it. Let none of it be published in any newspaper, or periodical of any kind, but destroy it unless you wish it for your own work."

Butrick did not seem to realize how valuable his work with Payne would become. He did not know how important it would be for future historians.

Historian David James Tackett said that Butrick's "Indian Antiquities" helps us understand his research. For a long time, people focused only on the facts in the manuscript. They often ignored Butrick's own reasons for writing it. Butrick's story showed his love for the people he interviewed. It also showed his struggles with other missionaries and the Cherokee.

Butrick gathered stories from Thomas Nu:tsa:wi and other Cherokee people. He organized these oral traditions. Some of his ideas, like identifying Indians as Jews, are not accepted today. However, many historians value "Indian Antiquities" for its facts about native culture. Others use it for its mix of Christian and Cherokee stories. Tackett argued that Butrick's unique viewpoint is also very valuable.

See also

• Cherokee Nation
• American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
• Brainerd Mission
• John Howard Payne
• Samuel Worcester
• Ten Tribes
• Israelites
• Evangelical Christian
• Mission (Christianity)
• Newberry Library
• Houghton Library