By the time the Civil War began in 1860, the Cherokee nation owned more than 4,000 Black slaves and aligned themselves with the Confederacy once hostilities broke out. In the 160 years since, the tribe has continually denied the descendants of its Black slaves full citizenship or any measure of equal rights under the law. As recently as 2011, the tribe denied requests for citizenship from this group. However, thanks to a landmark Cherokee Supreme Court ruling, the 8,500 living descendants of the Cherokee Freedmen have finally been given their proper status.
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