Sequoyah (circa 1767–1843), named in English George Gist or Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith who in 1821 completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible. This was the only time in recorded history that a member of an illiterate people independently created an effective writing system. After seeing its worth, the Cherokee Nation rapidly began to use his syllabary and officially adopted it in 1825. Their literacy rate rapidly surpassed that of surrounding European-American settlers.
Sequoyah was a prominent Cherokee politician. In June 1814, he agreed to join Sam Houston's expedition to Washington, D.C.. In the lead up to that, Sequoyah participated in the running battle between his group of Cherokee (comprised of John Ross, Nancy Ward, and John, James, and Tiana Rogers) and a group of vindictive Chickasaw. The Cherokee defeated the Chickasaw and met with Houston at Oothcaloga.
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