page_title: John Ross (Cherokee chief)
section_title: Early life and education
hierarchical_section_title: John Ross (Cherokee chief) / Early life and education
context_page_description: John Ross, was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828–1866, serving longer in this position than any other person. Described as the Moses of his people, Ross influenced the Indian nation through such tumultuous events as the relocation to Indian Territory and the American Civil War.
  John Ross was the son of a Cherokee mother and a Scottish father. His mother and maternal grandmother were of mixed Scots-Cherokee ancestry, since his maternal grandfather was another Scottish immigrant. At the time among the matrilineal Cherokee, anyone born of a Cherokee mother was counted as a Cherokee, and a member of her clan. As a result, young John grew up bilingual and bicultural, an experience that served him well when his parents decided to send him to schools that served other mixed-race Cherokee.
  After graduation, he was appointed an Indian agent in 1811. During the War of 1812, he served as adjutant of a Cherokee regiment under the command of Andrew Jackson. After the Red Stick War ended, Ross demonstrated his business acumen by starting a tobacco plantation in Tennessee.
context_section_description: Ross (also known by his Cherokee name, Guwisguwi) was born in Turkeytown (in modern day Alabama), near the head of the Coosa River, to Mollie (née McDonald) and her husband Daniel Ross, an immigrant Scots trader. His siblings who survived to adulthood included Jane Ross Coodey (1787–1844), Elizabeth Grace Ross Ross (1789–1876), Lewis Ross (1796–1870), Andrew 'Tlo-s-ta-ma' Ross (1798–1840),  Margaret Ross Hicks (1803–1862) and Maria Ross Mulkey (1806–1838).
caption: House built in early 19th century by John McDonald, maternal grandfather of John Ross. Now called the "John Ross House," it was occupied by Ross's daughter and her husband, Nicholas Scales. It is located in Rossville, Georgia.