Who was Samuel Worcester?
Samuel Worcester was an American missionary and linguist who lived from 1798 to 1859. He is best known for his work among the Cherokee people in Georgia and his involvement in the landmark Supreme Court case, Worcester v. Georgia.
Worcester was born in Massachusetts and became a Congregationalist missionary. In 1825, he traveled to Georgia to work among the Cherokee Nation. He immersed himself in the Cherokee language and culture, eventually becoming fluent in their language and developing a written script for the Cherokee syllabary. Worcester also published the first edition of the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper.
However, conflicts arose when the state of Georgia passed laws that aimed to assert control over Cherokee lands. These laws prohibited non-Native Americans from living on Native American lands without a license from the state. Worcester and other missionaries refused to comply with these laws, believing them to be unconstitutional and unjust.
In 1831, Worcester was arrested for living on Cherokee lands without a license. His case, along with that of another missionary named Elias Boudinot, was brought to the U.S. Supreme Court in Worcester v. Georgia in 1832. The court ruled in favor of Worcester, declaring that the laws of Georgia did not have jurisdiction over the Cherokee Nation and that the federal government held the authority to make decisions regarding Native American lands. However, President Andrew Jackson notoriously ignored the court's ruling, leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee people on the Trail of Tears.
Despite the devastating outcome for the Cherokee people, Worcester's efforts to defend their rights and his role in the Supreme Court case have made him an important figure in Native American history.