History: The Iroquois Nation

was by Native Americans around 3,000 years ago. The Iroquois nation ultimately developed into a well-organized cooperative of five different tribes and inhabited the northern mountains from approximately 1300 BC. Eventually large populations of the Iroquois moved south and evolved into what would become the Cherokee nation of the southern Appalachians. By the mid 1500’s, there was random contact with Europeans mostly involving the fur trade. As the Europeans, inhabitants of what were now British colonies, migrated toward less inhabited areas of the continent, it became obvious that an easy route to the frontier was to travel the mountain ranges from north to southwest – from Pennsylvania to the valleys of western North Carolina (Gale). Henry

The Creeks who lived in what is now West Tennessee and Kentucky occasionally traveled east for exploring and hunting. By the late 17th century, the Cherokee, mostly hunters and farmers, had villages spread out over hundreds of square miles. The upper Overhill towns in the more rugged northeast portion of Cherokee lands were less well-known but would bring the Cherokee into close proximity with settlements established in the years before the American Revolution (Schroedl ). North and west of the Overhill towns was the “dark and bloody ground” that became Kentucky - large sections of mostly uninhabited lands that were hunting ground and were traversed along warrior paths to battle rival tribes of Shawnee and

It was inevitable yet again that the western settlements of the Watauga, the Holston, and those further west that Daniel Boone had established would be brought into the conflict with the British. Following the victories at Savannah and Charlestown, Cornwallis turned the British forces west toward Charlotte in North Carolina. Major Patrick Ferguson was given that task of quelling the resistance of the mountain settlements. There were several raids during the summer of 1780 when a group of Overmountain Men traveled into the Piedmont on the east side of the Appalachians. Those men were led by Isaac Shelby and a small force led by Colonel Charles McDowell. However, as fall approached, most of the men returned home to harvest crops and prepare their families, farms and settlements for the winter ahead. Ferguson’s force continued to have encounters with McDowell’s men and finally overwhelmed the small group of irregulars. It was after defeating McDowell that Major Patrick Ferguson issued his unfortunate challenge warning that the Overmountain Men must surrender to him or “I shall march this army over the mountains, hang your leaders, and lay waste your country with fire and sword.” (Jones,Overmountain Men,2) He sent Isaac Shelby’s cousin, captured by Ferguson’s men in one of the skirmishes, back to deliver the message directly to Shelby. Shelby