Little Turkey
| Little Turkey | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1758 |
| Died | 1801 |
| Nationality | Cherokee |
| Title | First Beloved Man, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation |
| Predecessor | Hanging Maw |
| Successor | Black Fox |
Little Turkey (1758–1801) was First Beloved Man of the Cherokee people, becoming, in 1794, the first Principal Chief of a united Cherokee Nation.
Headman
Little Turkey, born in 1758, was elected First Beloved Man by the general council of the Cherokee upon the re-establishment of the council's seat at Ustanali on the Conasauga River. This was following the murder of Corntassel in 1788.
The United States acknowledged his rival, Hanging Maw of Coyatee, as the Cherokee leading headman, but the larger part of the Cherokee themselves, including the Lower Cherokee who followed Dragging Canoe, recognized Little Turkey.
After the end of the Chickamauga wars (in 1794) and the subsequent organization that year of a national government, his title became Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation—a title he held until his death in 1801.
| Preceded by Corntassel |
First Beloved Man 1788–1794 |
Succeeded by Title ceased to exist |
| Preceded by Title nonexistent |
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation 1794–1801 |
Succeeded by Black Fox |
References
- Litton, Gaston L. "The Principal Chiefs of the Cherokee Nation", Chronicles of Oklahoma 15:3 (September 1937) 253-270 (retrieved August 18, 2006).