Stephen Foreman
Stephen Foreman was a significant figure in Cherokee history, known for his contributions as a minister, educator, and advocate for Cherokee rights. Born into a large family with a Scottish trader father and a Cherokee mother, Foreman moved to Tennessee during his childhood, where he received an education at a missionary school. After the death of his father, he was supported by a Congregational minister and pursued higher education at institutions like the College of Richmond and Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was ordained in 1835.
Foreman was deeply involved in the Cherokee resistance against forced removal, notably participating in the Trail of Tears and later continuing his ministry in Oklahoma. He played a crucial role in translating the Bible into Cherokee using the syllabary developed by Sequoyah and contributed to the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper as an associate editor. Additionally, he established a public school system for Cherokee children and served in various governmental roles within the Cherokee Nation, including as a member of the Supreme Court and an executive councilor. After the Civil War, Foreman returned to the Indian Territory, where he continued his religious ministry until his death. His legacy encompasses both his religious dedication and his efforts to promote education and self-determination among the Cherokee people.
Stephen Foreman
- Born: October 22, 1807
- Birthplace: Rome, Georgia
- Died: December 8, 1881
- Place of death: Park Hill, Indian Territory (now in Oklahoma)
Category: Minister, educator
Tribal affiliation: Cherokee
Significance: A fully ordained Presbyterian minister, Foreman served as a spiritual and political leader to the Cherokee
Stephen Foreman was one of twelve children of a Scottish trader and a Cherokee woman. When he was a boy, his family moved to Tennessee, where young Foreman attended a missionary school. When his father died, Foreman was sponsored by the Congregational minister Samuel Worcester at New Echota, Georgia. He also attended the College of Richmond, Virginia, and Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was ordained in 1835. Afterward he returned to live among the Cherokee and immediately became embroiled in the Cherokee resistance to removal. For a time he was imprisoned for his antiremoval activities. In 1841, he led one of the last Cherokee detachments on the Trail of Tears, continuing his ministry in Oklahoma.
With Worcester, Foreman translated the Bible into Cherokee using the syllabary created by Sequoyah. He also served as associate editor of the Cherokee newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix. In 1841, Foreman organized a public school system for Cherokee children and in 1844 was elected to the Cherokee Supreme Court. From 1847 through 1855, he served as executive councilor of the Cherokee tribe. During the Civil War, Foreman lived in Texas, where he continued proselytizing, returning to Indian Territory at war’s end. There he purchased the former home of Cherokee leader Elias Boudinot and established a church, where he preached until his death.