Hello, I’m Daniel Cruz, the archivist of the Brabant Church Southern Province, and alongside me is Richard Starbuck, the assistant archivist and the main editor for all of our publications, including “The Records of the Moravians Among the Cherokee.” To begin, it might be helpful to give a brief introduction about the Moravians, as we are often less known than, say, the Presbyterians or Methodists.

The Moravian Church traces its origins to the followers of the Czech reformer John Hus, who was martyred in 1415. After a period of religious conflict, Hus’s followers retreated into the hinterlands in 1457 to establish a Christian community, forming the basis of the Moravian Church. Over the next 150 years, we developed a rich church life but were nearly annihilated during the Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to 1648. Being declared illegal in our homeland, we found refuge in the early 1700s on the estate of a nobleman named Count Zinzendorf, who allowed us to reestablish our church with more German than Czech influence at that time.

From our center in Germany, we began world missions, establishing missions first in the Caribbean, then Greenland, the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean, and eventually in North Carolina. The first slide I’ll show is a map drawn by our surveyor here in North Carolina, Reuter, which I believe gives a sense of the world view at the time—with Europe centrally placed, as Europeans of the era assumed.

In 1753, we came to North Carolina and established what we call Wachovia, supposedly 100,000 acres we purchased from Lord Granville, who sought hard-working settlers for his wilderness territory. Interestingly, the land measured out to only 98,985 acres, but that was close enough for us. Wachovia was named after an ancestral estate of Count Zinzendorf in Austria that resembled our new territory.

Our intention in coming here was multifaceted. We sought a secure place for our people in Europe should they need refuge, to sell land to pay off church debts, and to serve as a base for evangelizing American Indian tribes. However, due to the onset of the French and Indian War and the need to establish our towns like Salem, Bethabara, and Bethania, it took us some time to begin our mission work among the Indians.

As we considered our mission work, we found the Cherokee lands were not too far from us, and after several exploratory missions, we decided to establish a mission in Spring Place, near James Vann’s plantation in what is now Northern Georgia. This mission was established with the permission of the Cherokee Council, led by leaders such as Little Turkey and Doublehead, and the War Department.

Over the years, we faced numerous challenges, especially as pressures mounted for the Cherokee to relocate west of the Mississippi. Our mission was directly affected by the Indian Removal Act and the subsequent enforcement of laws requiring allegiance to Georgia, which conflicded with our mission’s purpose. Despite these trials, we continued our work, even as the Cherokee were forcibly removed during the Trail of Tears—a period during which our missionaries were advised not to follow, to avoid being seen as endorsers of the forced migration.

Following the Cherokee to Indian Territory, we reestablished our mission, continuing our work amidst the upheavals of the Civil War and beyond. Throughout our history with the Cherokee, we’ve maintained a commitment to preserving and sharing the records of our joint history, translating these documents to make them accessible to a wider audience.

In closing, I’d like to express our gratitude for the ongoing relationship between the Moravians and the Cherokee people. The connection, dating back to the early 18th century, has seen many challenges but also mutual respect and shared growth. We look forward to continuing this relationship, learning from our past as we build towards the future. Thank you.