The Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee nation was one of the bigger Indian tribes. The Cherokee called themselves the Ani-Yun' wiya which means leading or principal people. They originally lived in what is now Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. They have had contact with the white people ever since they met the Desoto expedition in 1540 and they have always been friendly towards them. The Cherokee helped the British in wars and in trade, they tried to become like the British, and the whole time the British and then the Americans tried to take advantage of the Cherokee.

The Cherokee helped the British in wars and in trade. After the settlement of Virginia in 1609 the Indians began to trade with the settlers. They initially traded with the Carolina traders. This is when the leadership began to move from the priest to the warrior. Warriors also started to hunt for profit.

English: Cherokee Confederate reunion in New Orlea...

Cherokee Principal Chief John Ross. Image capture ...

English: John Ross, a Cherokee chief / drawn, prin...

The trading drew the Cherokee in as allies to the British in their wars against the French and the Spanish in the late 1600's to mid 1700's.

The British armed the Indians with firearms and fortified their larger villages. However, when the Cherokee started having trouble with the Shawnee Indians and requested more firearms, they weren't allowed to have the firearms unless they made peace. Some of the Cherokee warriors ended up even joining parts of the British army. They fought alongside the British in the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution, the Cherokee aided the British in attacking several forts and settlements on the frontier.

The Cherokee always wanted to be at peace with the British. For this reason, over one hundred treaties were formed between the British and the Cherokee. While the Cherokee kept all of these treaties, the British...