National Register of Historic Places

Red Clay Council Ground

Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee
Listed
September 13, 1972
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
72001229

About this property

Red Clay State Historic Park is a state park located in southern Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The park preserves the Red Clay Council Grounds, which were the site of the last capital of the Cherokee Nation in the eastern United States from 1832 to 1838 before the enforcement of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This act resulted in a forced migration of most of the Cherokee people to present-day Oklahoma known as the Cherokee removal. At the council grounds, the Cherokee made multiple unsuccessful pleas to the U.S. government to be allowed to remain in their ancestral homeland. The site is considered sacred to the Cherokees and includes the Blue Hole Spring, a large hydrological spring. It is also listed as an interpretive center along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. After the Cherokee removal, the site became private land and was primarily used for agriculture. In the later part of the 20th century, a group of local historians undertook an effort to preserve and protect the site and turn it into a state park. The site was named to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1972, and Red Clay State Park opened to the public in 1979. It encompasses 263 acres (1.06 km2) of land immediately north of the Tennessee–Georgia state line and consists of a museum, replicas of Cherokee structures that once stood on the site, and three hiking trails, along with other amenities.

Location

Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee
34.99433, -84.94865

Categories

NATIVE AMERICANMILITARYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

James County Courthouse (Additional Documentation)
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8.3 mi
Broad Street United Methodist Church
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11.7 mi
Craigmiles, P. M., House
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11.8 mi
Conrad, Hair, Cabin
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11.9 mi
Douglas, Hiram, House
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11.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Red Clay Council Ground listed on the National Register?

Red Clay Council Ground was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 13, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Red Clay Council Ground?

Red Clay Council Ground is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Red Clay Council Ground?

The period of significance for Red Clay Council Ground is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Red Clay Council Ground?

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