Sequoyah, in Cherokee, means "pig foot."
It was a name given to Cherokee George Gist who was born with the
congenital deformity known as club foot. He is the only person in
history to ever create both an alphabet and a written language.
Sequoyah died in 1843 in Northern Mexico. To this day, his grave
has never been found.
Sgt. Alvin York is only one of 35 Tennesseans to be awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor for actions under fire. In fact, so
many medals were awarded to Tennesseans that the National Medal of Honor
Museum of Military History is placed in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Stand Watie, a full-blooded Cherokee, was the last Confederate General
to surrender in the War Between the States.
Native Knoxvillian William Henry
Hastie was the 1st Black Federal Judge in U.S. History. He was
appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following his term
as the first Black Governor of the Virgin Islands.
Native Knoxvillian