Final Roll of the Cherokee Nation & Freedman Final Roll of the
Cherokee Nation & Freedman By: Josiah Hair Today we call this
the Dawes Rolls, although it encompasses the original Five
Civilized Tribes of the South East (Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw, Creek and Seminole). This article is specifically about
the Cherokee Roll. To describe this roll and purpose, first we
must do a bit of history and hopefully give the reader a better
understanding of this particular Roll. Dawes Commission &
General Allotment Act, or Dawes Severalty Act An act of Congress
approved on 3. March. 1893 (27 Stat, 645) authorized the
establishment of a commission to negotiate agreements with the
Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes
providing for the dissolution of the tribal governments and the
allotment of land to each tribal member. The sponsor, Senator
Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts was appointed Chairman of the
Commission on 1. Nov. 1893, after which it has commonly been
referred to as the Dawes Commission. The Co