North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

A Brief History of Indian Woods, North CarolinaA Brief History of Indian Woods, North Carolina

Department of HistoryDepartment of History

Indian Woods

The Forgotten History

of North America:

Research focuses on the “Indian Woods” Community of Bertie County, North Carolina

Indian Woods, 1717-1803.

Cultures Represented in Eastern North Carolina.

Indian Woods Reservation Indian Woods Reservation Established in 1717Established in 1717

Tuscarora (Native American)

AfricanEuropean

MIXED RACE OR CREOLIZED PEOPLES MIXED RACE OR CREOLIZED PEOPLES

OF “INDIAN WOODS”OF “INDIAN WOODS”

The Historic Importance of the The Historic Importance of the “Tuscarora” and “Indian Woods” “Tuscarora” and “Indian Woods”

to Native-American, African-to Native-American, African-American, American and American, American and

North Carolina HistoryNorth Carolina History

North Carolina – the first North Carolina – the first area the English attempted area the English attempted to settle to settle

The first area the English The first area the English introduced Whites (1587) introduced Whites (1587) and Africans (1586) and Africans (1586) 33 33 years before Africans are years before Africans are introduced into introduced into Jamestown, Virginia in Jamestown, Virginia in (1619)(1619)

Both Africans and Both Africans and Whites merged with the Whites merged with the Coastal Indians and the Coastal Indians and the Tuscarora to create some Tuscarora to create some of the first mixed-race of the first mixed-race people in North America people in North America between 1586 and 1619between 1586 and 1619

In 1586 Sir Francis Drake releases over 300 African Maroon soldiers on Roanoke Island 33 years before the arrival of Africans to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. These Maroons most likely created Maroon Communities or were absorbed by the coastal Algonquian Indians and latter the Tuscarora 1 year before the “Lost Colony” in 1587.

Mixed-Race Indians of Mixed-Race Indians of North Carolina and North Carolina and Virginia 1587 to 1711Virginia 1587 to 1711

1. Machpunga, NC1. Machpunga, NC2. Bear River, NC2. Bear River, NC3. Matemeskett, NC3. Matemeskett, NC4. Chowanoc, NC4. Chowanoc, NC5. Yeopim, NC5. Yeopim, NC6. Hatteras, NC6. Hatteras, NC7. Coree, NC7. Coree, NC8. Neuse, NC8. Neuse, NC9. Pamlico, NC9. Pamlico, NC10. Tuscarora, NC10. Tuscarora, NC11. Meherrin, VA11. Meherrin, VA12. Nottoway, VA12. Nottoway, VA13. Nanticoke, VA13. Nanticoke, VA14. Delaware, VA14. Delaware, VA

The Tuscarora of North Carolina absorbed Whites, Blacks The Tuscarora of North Carolina absorbed Whites, Blacks and Coastal Native Americans (reduced by disease and war) and Coastal Native Americans (reduced by disease and war) from 1586 to 1619.from 1586 to 1619.

TuscaroraTuscarora

Coastal Coastal Native Native

Americans Americans absorbedabsorbed

Africans Africans absorbedabsorbed

Poor Whites Poor Whites absorbedabsorbed

North Carolina and Virginia North Carolina and Virginia Mixed-Race Peoples, 1619 - 1711Mixed-Race Peoples, 1619 - 1711

VA and NC Settlements and PlantationsVA and NC Settlements and Plantations– Indentured Servants and SlavesIndentured Servants and Slaves– WhitesWhites– BlacksBlacks– IndiansIndians

VA and NC Swamps (Great Dismal and Alligator)VA and NC Swamps (Great Dismal and Alligator)– Maroons and Mixed Indians (runaway slaves)Maroons and Mixed Indians (runaway slaves)– WhitesWhites– BlacksBlacks– IndiansIndians

Frontier SettlementsFrontier Settlements– Free Blacks, Poor Whites and IndiansFree Blacks, Poor Whites and Indians– White and Black TradersWhite and Black Traders– Runaway SlavesRunaway Slaves

Native Nations contain Mixed-Race People (Indian, Black and White heritage)Native Nations contain Mixed-Race People (Indian, Black and White heritage)

By 1710 large numbers of Tuscarora from eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia were being kidnapped and sold into slavery as part of the notorious “Native American Slave Trade.” This was one of the major causes of the Tuscarora War - one of the bloodiest wars in Colonial American History (1711 to 1713).

The Tuscarora “War Council" at the start of the war. Although only one African is pictured here there were actually two. Both were

released and given their freedom. One joined with the Tuscarora during the war and the other returned to whites after the war.

The Tuscarora defeat at “Fort Neyuheruke” in 1713

Cherokees, Creeks, Catawba, Yamasee and colonists killed one-third of the Nation, and took one-third as slaves. Hundreds of

Tuscarora were killed and burned alive in the fort.

Native Native American American and Whites.and Whites.

Tuscarora Were Taken as Slaves by Indians and Whites

1711 to 1713

Cherokees

Tuscarora Diaspora

Creeks Yamasee

CatawbasWhite SlaversSC, NC & VA

Many scatted into the Swamps of eastern North Carolina and the Piedmont of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland Others enslaved

In 1715 the Tuscarora were

pushed out of Eastern North Carolina and

into the Piedmont and Mountains of Virginia

and North Carolina when North Carolina

ordered:

“the entire destruction of ye said nation of Indians as if there had never been

a peace made with them.”

Enslavement and slaughter followed.

After the Tuscarora War in 1715 the Tuscarora were

forced to leave Eastern North Carolina or be killed

or enslaved.

Many Settled in the Piedmont of

North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland until 1722.

Others settled in Pennsylvania, New York,

New Jersey, Ohio, Louisiana and Canada.

They would later move to West Virginia, Ohio,

Kentucky, Illinois and Oklahoma.

The Tuscarora established communities from South Carolina to Canada that harbored runaway slaves and helped smuggle African, Indian and Mixed slaves out of Virginia and the Carolinas.

The Five Nations Noted after the war that the Tuscarora were scattered :

“like smoke in the wind.“

North Carolina and Virginia North Carolina and Virginia Tuscarora, 1715 - 1722Tuscarora, 1715 - 1722

VA and NC Settlements and PlantationsVA and NC Settlements and Plantations– Used Tuscarora as SlavesUsed Tuscarora as Slaves

VA and NC Swamps (Great Dismal and Alligator)VA and NC Swamps (Great Dismal and Alligator)– Tuscarora settle with Maroons (run away slaves) and Mixed Tuscarora settle with Maroons (run away slaves) and Mixed

Indians in swamps and mountains (Mingos) Indians in swamps and mountains (Mingos) VA and NC Frontier SettlementsVA and NC Frontier Settlements

– Tuscarora settle with other Indians, Free Blacks and White Tuscarora settle with other Indians, Free Blacks and White Traders and settlersTraders and settlers

NC and VA Native Nations NC and VA Native Nations – Tuscarora settle with Five Nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora settle with Five Nations (Mohawk, Oneida,

Onondagas, Cayuga and Seneca) and their allies (Delaware, Onondagas, Cayuga and Seneca) and their allies (Delaware, Shawnee, Nanticoke, Mingo, Monacan)Shawnee, Nanticoke, Mingo, Monacan)

After the Tuscarora War and Colonial

Order the Tuscarora were forced to leave

North Carolina on the

“Tuscarora Trail”

or

“Death Trail.”

Hundreds die.

They also take runaway slaves with

them.

Beginning of the “Underground

Railroad” in 1715

Tuscarora Present Wampum Belt toTuscarora Present Wampum Belt to “Five Nations” and Become “Five Nations” and Become

the “Sixth Nation” of the the “Sixth Nation” of the Iroquois ConfederacyIroquois Confederacy

Chiefs of the Six NationsChiefs of the Six Nations

Native Native American American and Whites.and Whites.

The Tuscarora Settle Among and Mix with all of the Five Nations and their Allies

1713 to 1722

Seneca

Tuscarora Diaspora

Cayuga Onondagas Oneidas Mohawks

Tri-racial Isolates

6th Nation

Mingo Delaware ShawneeNanticokeMonacan

Many of the Tuscarora settled among the Five nations and their Allies in the Ohio Valley between 1713 to 1762 they became

the Sixth Nation of the “Iroquois Confederacy.” The most powerful Native Alliance in the history of North America.

The Six Nations, Southeastern The Six Nations, Southeastern Nations and the 13 Colonies 1763Nations and the 13 Colonies 1763

Native Americans

AfricansEuropeans

THE TUSCARORA AND THE THE TUSCARORA AND THE

CREOLIZATION OF AMERCIACREOLIZATION OF AMERCIA

The Rascoe sisters The Rascoe sisters From Indian Woods From Indian Woods and some other families:and some other families:

1. Rascoe1. Rascoe2. Bond2. Bond3. Freeman3. Freeman4. Allen4. Allen5. Brown5. Brown6. Smallwood6. Smallwood7. Mitchell7. Mitchell8. Pugh8. Pugh9. Cherry9. Cherry10. Outlaw10. Outlaw11. Walton11. Walton12. Manning12. Manning13. Jones13. Jones14. White14. White

Indian woods

The Forgotten History

of North America:

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Tuscarora History in North CarolinaTuscarora History in North Carolina

Department of HistoryDepartment of History