Tah-Chee, Cherokee Chief: 19th C. Folio Hand-colored McKenney & Hall Lithograph

Tahchee's name translates to Dutch in Cherokee, and he became known as William Dutch. He was born in 1790 in the Cherokee Nation, which is now in a portion of Alabama. Tahchee became known as a skilled warrior and leader among his people, and he was eventually appointed as a chief of the Cherokee Nation "Old Settlers". During his time as chief, Tahchee was a rival of the Osage people and he worked to protect the Cherokee people and their land from encroachment by white settlers. He was a strong advocate for maintaining Cherokee sovereignty and cultural traditions, even as pressure mounted from the United States government to remove the Cherokee from their ancestral lands. In 1838, Tahchee and many other Cherokee people were forcibly removed from their homes in what is known as the Trail of Tears. Despite his resistance to the removal, Tahchee was eventually forced to leave with his people and make the long, arduous journey to Indian Territory, now present-day Oklahoma. Tahchee continued to be a leader among the Cherokee people in Indian Territory, and he worked to help his people rebuild their communities and way of life after the trauma of the Trail of Tears. He passed away in 1867, leaving behind a legacy of courage and resilience in the face of tremendous adversity.

This original McKenney and Hall folio-sized beautifully hand-colored lithograph is printed on a sheet measuring 19.75" high and 14" wide. There is minimal discoloration and spotting in the margins and some text offset. There is a short tear of the lower edge of the sheet, which has been professionally stabilized on the verso. The print is otherwise in very good condition. The original biographical text pages, 163-168, from McKenney & Hall's 19th century publication are included. They can be mounted in a mylar sleeve on the back of a frame for preservation and viewing.

Col. Thomas J. McKenney was Superintendant of The Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1816 until 1830. He was one of a very few government officials to defend American Indian interests and attempt to preserve their culture. He travelled to Indian lands meeting the Native American leaders. He brought with him an accomplished artist, James Otto Lewis, who sketched those willing to participate. A large number of the most influential Indian chiefs and warriors were later invited to come to Washington in 1821 to meet President Monroe. McKenney commissioned the prominent portrait painter Charles Bird King, who had a studio in the capital, to paint these native American leaders, who chose the costumes they wished to wear for the sitting. The magnificent resultant paintings were displayed in the War Department until 1858, and were then moved to the Smithsonian Institute. When Andrew Jackson dismissed McKenney in 1830, he gave him permission to have the King portraits as well as some by other artists, including George Catlin and James Otto Lewis, copied and made into lithographs, in both folio and octavo sizes. McKenney partnered with James C. Hall, a Cincinnati judge and novelist to publish the lithographs and the text written by Hall. The work was extremely expensive to create and nearly bankrupted McKenney, as well as the two printing firms who invested in its publication. The resultant work gained importance when Catlin's paintings were destroyed in a warehouse fire and Charles Bird King's and James Otto Lewis’ portraits were destroyed in the great Smithsonian Museum fire of 1865. The McKenney and Hall portraits remain the most complete and colorful record of these pre-Civil War Native American leaders.

The folio and smaller octavo sized hand painted lithographs remain prized by collectors and institutions, many of which are held by major museums and collections, including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute.