James Vann facts for kids

James Vann (born around 1762–1764 – died February 19, 1809) was an important Cherokee leader. He was one of three main leaders, along with Major Ridge and Charles R. Hicks. They guided the Cherokee communities in what is now eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. These communities were part of the ᎤᏪᏘ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ (Uwet Tsalag Ayetl), also known as the Old Cherokee Nation.

James Vann was the son of ᏩᎵ (Wali) Vann and a trader named Joseph John Vann. He was born into his mother's family group, the ᎠᏂᎪᏓᎨᏫ (Anigodagewi) or Wild Potato Clan. This clan was also sometimes called the Blind Savannah Clan.

Vann was one of the younger leaders who believed the Cherokee people needed to adapt to the ways of the European Americans and the United States government. He encouraged the Moravians to start a mission school on Cherokee land. He became a very wealthy farmer and had many people working on his large farms.

Early Life and Family

James Vann was the oldest of three children. He was likely born in South Carolina, near his mother's father's trading post. By 1764, his family moved to the mouth of the Little River in Georgia. His mother, Wah-li, was from the Anigategawi or Wild Potato People clan. James had two younger sisters, Nancy and Jennie.

The children grew up learning the Cherokee culture and traditions from their mother's clan. In the Cherokee system, property and leadership roles were passed down through the mother's family. This is called a matrilineal system. Because of this, their maternal uncles were very important in raising the children, especially James.

The Vann children probably learned both Cherokee and European-American cultures. They likely spoke both languages. Later, Wah-li married Clement Vann, who was Joseph's brother. Clement became a stepfather to the children.

Vann's Business and Wealth

James Vann became the richest person in the Cherokee Nation. He might have been one of the wealthiest people in the eastern United States at that time. He made good deals when the U.S. government built the Federal Road. This road helped him build his large home, called Diamond Hill.

His home was a two-story brick house built in 1804, located near the road in what is now Chatsworth, Georgia. He also had a store and other buildings there. Vann gave land for a mission school run by the Moravian Brethren. He had encouraged the Cherokee National Council to allow this school. His own father had run a trading post on that same spot earlier.

Vann also created a ferry service across the nearby Conasauga River. He built a tavern and a store close by to serve both local people and travelers. He also owned another ferry, Vann's ferry, which crossed the Chattahoochee River. This ferry was near what is now Atlanta and was on the road to the Lower Towns of the Muscogee (Creek) people. Later, he opened another trading post near present-day Huntsville, Alabama.

He owned many acres of farmland and had a large workforce. He also owned land in what is now Hamilton County, Tennessee. His ferry landing in Tennessee was the start of a community called Vann's Town. This town later became the county seat and was renamed Harrison.

There is a story about how wealthy Vann was. Return J. Meigs Sr., who was the U.S. Indian agent for the Cherokee, found that the government had sent the yearly payment for Cherokee lands to the wrong place. It went to New Orleans instead of to the Cherokee Nation. Meigs asked Vann for help. Vann paid the full amount of the yearly payment from his own money. He was able to wait for Meigs to pay him back after the government fixed the mistake.

Cherokee Politics and Leadership

In Cherokee politics, James Vann was a leader of the "young chiefs" from the Overhill Towns. They disagreed with the "old chiefs," who were mostly from the Lower Towns and led by Doublehead. The old chiefs followed more traditional ways.

Vann and Charles R. Hicks convinced the National Council to allow a school to be built. This school was run by the United Brethren (Moravians) from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Vann provided the land and built the school next to his home at Spring Place, Georgia.

In 1808, Vann helped create the Cherokee Lighthorse Guard. This was a type of police force. Their job was to patrol the roads in the Cherokee Nation to stop horse stealing and other thefts. In the same year, on September 11, 1808, the chiefs of the seven clans signed the Act of Oblivion. This act ended the traditional clan Blood Law, which was a system of justice based on family revenge.

James Vann was shot and killed at Buffington's Tavern on February 19, 1809, while he was on patrol. He was buried in or near Blackburn cemetery in Forsyth County, Georgia. After his death, Charles Hicks took his place on the council.

Vann's Legacy

James Vann was a smart tribal leader and a successful businessman. He owned taverns, ferry boats, mills for grinding grain, and many animals. His business activities included driving cattle to Pennsylvania and sending goods by pack train to South Carolina.

Vann helped bring European-American style education to the Cherokee Nation by supporting the Moravian mission school. He encouraged the Cherokee to adopt some European-style "civilization" because he saw good things in it.

In his will, Vann left almost all his property to Joseph Vann, his oldest son with Nannie Brown. This was like the European-American way of passing down property. However, it was different from the traditional Cherokee matrilineal system, where property usually passed through the mother's family line. Joseph inherited the Spring Place farm (Diamond Hill) and the property on the Tennessee River that later became known as Vann's Town. He became known as "Rich Joe" Vann. Because James Vann went against tradition, the National Cherokee Council decided that his other children from his nine wives or partners should also inherit some property, though in smaller amounts.

His nephew was David Vann (Cherokee leader), who was an ancestor of the famous entertainer Will Rogers.

In Books and Media

Dee Alexander Brown wrote a novel based on a made-up version of James Vann's life. The book is called Creek Mary's Blood (1981).