“C” is for Cherokees. The Cherokees were one of the largest southeastern Native American nations with which Carolina colonists had contact. They arrived in the southeastern United State after leaving the Great Lakes area. At the time of European contact, their sphere of influence encompassed most of northwestern
South Carolina, and stretched north and west to the Ohio River to include most of Kentucky and Tennessee as well as parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama. Among the Cherokee towns in South Carolina were Seneca, Keowee, Toxoway, and Jocassee. Stable settlements were possible because of their reliance on agriculture, especially corn. During the Revolution, the Cherokee sided with the British and were defeated by a multi-colony army. In 1777 the Cherokees ceded most of their South Carolina land to the state.