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Cleveland, TN
Red Clay Historic State Park
1140 Red Clay Park Road
Cleveland
,
TN
423-478-0339
Located on the site of the former capital of the Cherokee Nation, Red Clay is a significant historical and religious location in southeast
Tennessee
. General Councils of the Cherokee Nation were held at Red Clay beginning in 1832. As many as 5,000 people attended these Councils. However, in 1838 the Cherokee were forcibly removed to
Oklahoma
along the “Trail of Tears,” and the prosperity at Red Clay ended. It was not until 1954 that a Cherokee Council was again conducted at Red Clay. Religiously, Red Clay is significant in that Cherokee culture integrated civic life with spirituality, and the location was the setting for Cherokee sacred rituals. Weddings are still conducted at the site. Today Red Clay includes an eternal flame, a nature trail, a reconstruction of the Cherokee settlement area and Council House, and a visitor’s center with an interpretive historical exhibit that conveys the story of the Cherokee in the vicinity, including Christian missionary attempts. Red Clay is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is an
Official
Interpretive
Center
of the National Historic Trail of Tears.
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