Editing Rome, Georgia (section)

=== Indigenous history ===
The [[Abihka]] tribe of Creek in the area of Rome later became part of the Upper Creek people (who occupied the Northern Creek territory, called themselves the [[Muscogee]]). They merged with other Creek tribes to become the ''Ulibahali'', who later migrated westward into [[Alabama]] in the general region of [[Gadsden, Alabama|Gadsden]].<ref>Waselkov, Gregory A., and Marvin T. Smith. "Upper Creek Archaeology", in McEwan, Bonnie G., ed. ''Indians of the Greater Southeast: Historical Archaeology and Ethnohistory'' (Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2000) p. 244-245</ref><ref>Ethridge, Robbie Franklyn, ''Creek Country: The Creek Indians and Their World'' (Chapel Hill, North Carolina: UNC Press) p. 27</ref> By the mid-18th century, the [[Iroquoian languages|Iroquoian]]-speaking [[Cherokee]] had moved into this area and occupied it. They had moved down from areas of Tennessee, under pressure from settlement by Americans migrating across the Appalachians from eastern territories.

A Cherokee village named Etowah ({{langx|chr|ᎡᏙᏩ|translit=Etowa}}), which means "Head of Coosa",<ref name="roadsidegeorgia">{{cite web |title=Rome |url=http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/rome.html |website=roadsidegeorgia.com |access-date=26 October 2020 |archive-date=December 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227211727/http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/rome.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |last1=Britannica |first1=Encyclopedia |title=Rome, Georgia, United States |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Rome-Georgia |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref> was settled in this area during the late 18th century, in the period of the [[Cherokee–American wars]] (1776–94) during and after the American Revolutionary War. Several Cherokee national leaders settled here and developed their own cotton plantations, including chiefs [[Major Ridge]] and [[John Ross (Cherokee chief)|John Ross]]. Some of the Cherokee planters and others among the Southeast tribes bought enslaved African Americans to use as laborers on such plantations.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.romega.us/archives/31/rccmMar3.2008.pdf |title=Rome City Commission Archives |date=March 3, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029230004/http://www.romega.us/archives/31/rccmMar3.2008.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2008 }}</ref>

In the 20th century, Ridge's home here was preserved as Chieftain's House. It has been adapted by the state for use as the [[Chieftains Museum (Major Ridge Home)|Chieftains Museum]]. It is used to interpret the history of the Cherokee in this area, especially Major Ridge.

In the 18th century, a high demand in Europe for American [[deerskin trade|deerskins]] had led to a brisk trade between Indian hunters and White traders. A few White traders and some settlers (primarily from the [[Southern Colonies]] of [[Province of Georgia|Georgia]] and [[Province of Carolina|Carolina]]) were accepted by the Head of Coosa Cherokee. These were later joined by Christian missionaries, and more settlers. After the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]], most new settlers came from the area of Georgia east of the [[Proclamation Line of 1763]].

In 1793, in response to a Cherokee raid into Tennessee, [[John Sevier]], the [[Governor of Tennessee]], led a retaliatory raid against the Cherokee in the vicinity of Myrtle Hill, in what was known as the [[Battle of Hightower]].

In 1802, the United States and Georgia executed the [[Compact of 1802]], in which Georgia sold its claimed western lands (a claim dating to its colonial charter) to the United States. In return, the federal government agreed to ignore Cherokee land titles and remove all Cherokee from Georgia. The commitment to evict the Cherokee was not immediately enforced, and Chiefs John Ross and Major Ridge led efforts to stop their removal, including several federal lawsuits.

During the 1813 [[Creek War|Creek Civil War]], most Cherokee took the side of the Lower Creek Indians, who were more assimilated and willing to deal with European Americans, against the Red Sticks or Upper Creek. As they had lived more isolated from the Whites, they had maintained strong, conservative cultural traditions. Before the Cherokee moved to Head of Coosa, Chief Ridge commanded a company of warriors as a unit of the Tennessee militia, with Chief Ross as [[adjutant]]. This Cherokee unit was under the overall command of United States Major [[Andrew Jackson]], and supported the Upper Creek. They were the part of the Creek who had adopted more European-American customs and were more aligned with American settlers. The Creek War played out within the American Revolutionary War of the [[War of 1812]].

In 1829, European Americans discovered gold near [[Dahlonega, Georgia]], starting the first [[gold rush]] in the United States. Congressional passage of the [[Indian Removal Act]] of 1830, which fulfilled the Compact of 1802, was related to that gold discovery and the desire of Whites to settle the land, as well as President Andrew Jackson's commitment to removal of Native Americans to enable development by the whites.

Even before removal began, in 1831, Georgia's General Assembly passed legislation that claimed all Cherokee land in Northwest Georgia. This entire territory was called [[Cherokee County, Georgia#History|Cherokee County]]; the following year, the Assembly organized the territory as the nine counties that still exist in the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/histcountymaps/cherokeehistmaps.htm |title=Cherokee County Historical Maps |work=Georgia Info |year=2001| publisher= Digital Library of Georgia |access-date=March 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/countyboundaries/cherokeeboundaries2.htm |title=Original Cherokee County Divided |work=Georgia Info |date=May 28, 2001 |publisher=Digital Library of Georgia |access-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118041648/http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/countyboundaries/cherokeeboundaries2.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>