The creation of the Cherokee seminaries (high schools) was an impressive feat for several reasons. Every aspect of the schools—from the grand, brick buildings to the highly educated northeastern instructors—symbolized what the Cherokee could achieve. They built high schools in which young men and women learned advanced sciences and mathematics, studied the works of Virgil and Caesar, and contemplated philosophy. The Male Seminary prepared young men for a university education. The Cherokee imported northeastern education and made it their own. They constructed, staffed, and furnished the seminaries using funds from their national treasury. John Ross and the Council gave young Cherokee men and women the opportunity to have a foot planted firmly in each culture. Ultimately, the seminaries symbolized the spirit of resilience, ingenuity, and adaptation characteristic of the Cherokee in the nineteenth century.

From the exhibition: After Removal: Rebuilding the Cherokee Nation, August 25, 2017 - January 21, 2018.
Curated by Dr. Duane King & Dr. Natalie Panther, 2017.