Moravian-Cherokee Connections and Girls’ Boarding School Transcript

This is the village of Salem in North Carolina. It looks very much like this today because it’s a historic site. During the days when the Moravians had the mission among the Cherokees in Springplace, Georgia, this is where the missionaries came from.

You might not expect similarities between the Cherokees and the Moravians, but they shared key traits. Both had gender-divided societies. Cherokee women had work that men didn’t interfere with, and Moravian women had a unique level of independence. In Salem and Bethlehem, Moravian women supported themselves—operating a boarding school, a glove factory, and even doing the single brothers’ laundry. They earned more money than the single brothers, and once even had to help finance the rebuilding of the tavern in Salem.

Abraham Steiner convinced the Cherokee to allow Moravian missionaries. The meeting included figures like James Vann, whose house in Georgia became the mission’s location. James Vann had children needing education, prompting this collaboration.

The Cherokee were matrilineal—descent and land rights passed through the mother. Women had rights to land and made decisions about education. Moravians also upheld gender divisions in labor, and they educated women through their prestigious girls’ boarding school.

This was not like the later government-run boarding schools. It was elite—attended by daughters of judges and political leaders. Graduation was typically after two years and held in the Home Church. Visitors came from far and wide—including boys from Chapel Hill.

Salem was bustling with tradespeople—potters, tinsmiths, shoemakers, and silversmiths. Though not wealthy, the Moravians were respected artisans.

Graduations were grand. Girls wore white, displayed their needlework and art, answered questions from the headmaster, and sang. They studied geography, biology, and history. The Moravians emphasized reading to understand scripture—driving their educational mission.

Cherokee Girls in the School

Mary and Martha McNair were the daughters of Delilah Vann McNair, James Vann’s daughter. Martha attended graduation with her husband—likely the first Cherokee woman to do so.

Another student was Sally Ridge, daughter of Major Ridge and Susanna Ridge. Initially, the Moravians rejected Sally because they doubted the family’s financial means. But Susanna, determined, persuaded them. Sally studied for two years, and one teacher remarked on her modest behavior and traditional Cherokee practices.

Susanna Ridge attended Sally’s graduation, dressed plainly but commanded respect. The white women in silks yielded her the seat of honor. A teacher described Susanna as intelligent and equal in standing—she valued women’s education deeply.

The white women visiting were unsure how to interact with a plainly dressed, non-English-speaking Cherokee woman. But the Moravians, fluent in German and surrounded by diverse languages, embraced her.

Additional Students and Rising Tensions

Lewis Ross sent his daughter Araminta (“Aramea”) to Salem via Moravian gunsmith Timothy Vogler’s wagon. Aramea was just ten years old. Soon after, Ann and Cynthia Rogers, daughters of John Rogers and Sarah Cord, arrived as well.

Cynthia Rogers’ home had been taken in the Georgia land lotteries—these girls were from elite Cherokee families targeted for displacement.

Jane Ross, daughter of Chief John Ross and Elizabeth Brown Henley, also arrived. Chief Ross had returned from Washington to find his home occupied and sent Jane to safety and education.

Jane stayed three years and later lived with Moravians in Bethlehem, PA, even during the Civil War.

Removal and the Role of Education

By May 1838, federal troops, the Georgia Guard, and Tennessee Volunteers began forcibly removing the Cherokee. Meanwhile, Lucy Butler, a missionary with the American Board, wrote from Georgia requesting the Moravians accept George Hicks’ daughters.

George Hicks, a longtime ally of the Moravians, escorted both daughters to Salem. The Moravians—though dependent on school income—accepted both girls out of compassion. His youngest child later died on the Trail of Tears.

As Hicks returned west, he was appointed to lead a detachment. Chief Ross stopped in Salem on his way back from Washington, attending Home Church on July 4, 1838. He wrote to John Howard Payne from the stagecoach, noting his joy in finding his daughter safe, but also reporting on the hardships his people faced.

Legacy and Rebuilding

The Trail of Tears brought immense suffering. Thousands perished—especially the elderly and children. Despite the chaos, the Cherokee rebuilt: homes, farms, government, schools, churches, and their nation.

Lewis Ross and George Hicks returned to Salem and brought their daughters to Indian Territory. Delilah Hicks became a teacher and stayed in contact with her Moravian mentors. Jane Ross did the same, later leading women’s efforts and education in Indian Territory.

The Moravians continued their work, moving ahead of the Cherokee to establish missions in the West. Beloved teacher Sophia Reuter moved west and helped found New Spring Place. The Cherokee Nation now owns that land, ensuring it remains protected.

The Salem girls’ school—descended from the original boarding school—has operated continuously for 250 years. A commemorative plaque now honors this enduring legacy.