the general government further. The Phoenix continued under Elijah Hicks, Boudinots brother-in-law, but the quality of the paper declined because he lacked the emotional editorials that Boudinot provided his readers. The relating of political news and government documents was only one of the goals of Cherokee Phoenix, and in some ways the paper acted as a religious journal to the Cherokee Indians. The driving force behind using the paper as a religious medium was Samuel A. Worchester, a New England missionary. Worchester saw the potential of using the Cherokee language in hymns and scripture, which was the main reason he supported the endeavor to obtain a printing press. Worchester was also the son of a printer and helped the Cherokees in knowing what specific equipment was needed. The Cherokee Phoenix contributed to the Christianizing effort by the dissemination of religious education, including scriptural translations, hymns, and testaments from other converted Indians of all denomination. However, Worchester was not alone in this endeavor, when Boudinot had time he helped Worchester, and in the first publication, several translated chapters of the Gospel of Matthew appeared. Boudinot also began printing articles of practical guidance to missionaries and various other religious leaders. The Cherokee Phoenix continued to give the Cherokees religious activities publicity which became a boon to the missionaries. This soon changed when the authenticity of the Phoenix was challenged. During the first year of the paper, the whites did not believe an Indian could write, edit, and print a widely circulated paper. Rumors began to circulate that Worchester and other missionaries were the ones responsible for the publication in an effort to christianizing the American aborigines. Worchester made several attempts to refute these accusations, and Boudinot also refuted them by issuing statements to that fact in his editorials. ...
