Sequoya (1770?-1843)
Native American leader and inventor of the Cherokee alphabet. His name is also spelled Sequoyah, Sikwayi, or Sequoia. Born in Taskigi, Tennessee, Sequoya was probably the son of Nathaniel Gist, an English trader, and a part-Cherokee woman. He was also known by his English name, George Guess. Sequoya worked as a silversmith and a trader in Cherokee County, Georgia. He served with the United States Army during the Creek War (1813-1814).
Determined to preserve Cherokee culture, Sequoya began to develop a system of writing for the Cherokees around 1809. By 1821 he had developed an alphabet composed of over 80 characters that represented all the syllables of the Cherokee language. The alphabet allowed the Cherokee to publish newspapers and books in their own language, and thousands learned to read and write in the new written language. The giant sequoia trees and Sequoia National Park in California are named after him.
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