Cherokee Rolls: Act of Congress Roll
In 1851, the Siler Roll was taken and listed 1,700 Eastern Cherokees who were entitled to a per capita payment pursuant to an act of Congress in 1850. David W. Siler, special agent of the Office of Indian, was appointed to take the census of the Cherokees east of the Mississippi to determine who was eligible to participate in a per capita payment based on the 1835 treaty.
It was not entirely complete, however, and so this roll, the Act of Congress Roll, was prepared in 1854 and is a list of those Cherokee who were added to the Siler roll by Act of Congress.
Finding your ancestor on this Cherokee roll indicates that they were Cherokee, however this is not a final roll so cannot be used as proof for tribal enrollment in the Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band (UKB), or the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Find original images of this and many other Cherokee rolls and tribal records at Fold3.
Elements of the Act of Congress Roll:
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First Name
Last Name
Age – When available, the age of the enrollee is noted.
Relation – When available, the relationship of an enrollee to the other members of their household is noted here.
Location
Family Number – Roll numbers were assigned to an entire family on this roll. NN indicates no roll number, used for internal purposes.
Amount – The dollar amount awarded to individuals as part of the payment pursuant to an act of Congress in 1850.
Notes – Any details included on the roll which didn’t fall within the other fields.
Search
Please enter at least three characters of the persons first or last name to search the roll.