Did you know the American government considered Native Americans to be lower class citizens than slaves?
I have a 3x Great-Grandfather who married a Cherokee Indian. He is not listed anywhere on the 1820 or 1830 census records. However, that are documents showing land transactions through the Cherokees so we know he was still alive.
Why was he overlooked?
Because he was living on the Cherokee reservation. The U.S. Government viewed the Native Americans as a nuisance. They were not considered people or even property, which slaves of the day were considered. The U.S. Government viewed Native Americans as a lower class citizen than the slaves.
So why didn’t the census takers visit the reservation?
Because the census takers were told to bypass any areas with a heavy Native American population.
How have you struggled to find Native Americans in records?