McKenney & Hall Octavo Pl. 42, Major Ridge; A Cherokee Chief

The McKenney & Hall Octavo Pl. 42, Major Ridge; A Cherokee Chief depicts the Indigenous American wearing traditional and colonial garb.

This antique original hand-colored lithograph is printed on creamy paper measuring 10 1/2″ x 6 1/2″. Own a piece of history with this Indigenous American portrait!

About the History of the Indian Tribes of North America

First published in three volumes between 1838 and 1844, the History of the Indian Tribes of North America captures 125 portraits of Native American chieftains, orators, and translators who engaged in territorial negotiations with the U.S. government. The project was initiated by Thomas Loraine McKenney, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and James Hall, who authored the corresponding text. The project records the likeness and biography of many of the Native individuals who acted as liaisons between their tribes and the United States federal government during the period of negotiation before President Andrew Jackson endorsed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. As a result, the History of the Indian Tribes of North America is unique in that it records the struggle and resilience of many Native American diplomats who sought to combat the U.S. possession of their land.

Produced in miniature between 1842 and 1858, the octavo edition of History of Indian Tribes in North America measures approximately 10 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ and contains 125 portraits of Native American chieftains, orators, and translators from the 19th century. These richly hand-colored lithographs are today one of the most important and attractive 19th-century American ethnographic works created.

About Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall

Thomas Loraine McKenney was the Superintendent of Indian Affairs at the time of President Andrew Jackson’s endorsement of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, causing him to witness the mass displacement of Native American tribes from their homelands. With James Hall, McKenney initiated a project to document the likeness and biographies of 125 Native American chieftains, orators, and translators who engaged in territorial negotiations with the U.S. government during this time. The project was titled History of the Indian Tribes of North America and published in three volumes between 1838 and 1844.

For more information about McKenney & Hall Octavo Pl. 42, Major Ridge; A Cherokee Chief, email us at [email protected] or check out our article McKenney and Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America.