Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
NPG.71.53
Tags
About this artwork
Sequoyah, the son of a Cherokee woman and a fur trader from Virginia, was a warrior, a hunter, and a silversmith. For twelve years he worked to devise a method of writing for the Cherokee language. His syllabary of eighty-five symbols representing syllables was approved by the Cherokee chiefs in 1825. The straightforward system made possible a rapid spread of literacy throughout the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee also began to create written documents, including a constitution in 1827. The follow...
Art Historical Context
**Sequoyah** Lithograph by J. T. Bowenography Company, 183 Smithsonian American Art Museum This striking 1837 lithograph portrait, produced by the J. T. Bowenography Company, captures Sequoyah, the ingenious Cherokee inventor who revolutionized his people's communication. Born to a Cherokee mother and Virginia fur trader, Sequoyah was a multifaceted figure—a warrior, hunter, silversmith—who dedicated twelve years to creating a syllabary of 85 symbols for the Cherokee language. Adopted by tribal leaders in 1825, this simple yet powerful system sparked widespread literacy, enabling the Ch...