Cherokee Chief The Life of John Ross Author:Electa Clark, John Wagner (Illustrator) John Ross was a brown-haired, blue-eyed Cherokee who was born in 1790 and died in 1866. His ancestors were Scots who had married into the tribe. However, Ross's deep ties to the Cherokees and his loyalty to their interests dominated his life. He was a leader of the tribe, whose home country was in the southern Appalachians, when he was ... more »in his twenties; and he was the elected chief of the Cherokee Nation when only in his thirties. As chief of his nation, Ross headed mission after mission to Washington, defending unsuccessfully the Cherokee's rights to their land. Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Calhoun and other leaders in Congress were among his friends and admirers. But Ross was defeated in his efforts to retain the Cherokee's homelands. In 1838, the Cherokees were forced to leave their land and move to Oklahoma, Indian territory, the land set aside for the Indians.« less