Oconostota
Oconostota was a notable Cherokee war chief born in the southern Appalachian Highlands. Rising to prominence in his mid-twenties, he distinguished himself during a period of intense competition between the British and French in North America. Unlike many Cherokee leaders who allied with the British, Oconostota took a more cautious approach, particularly following the smallpox epidemic of 1738, which he believed was a result of British malice. Despite surviving the disease, he bore physical scars that symbolized his distrust of the British. After the French and Indian War, he recognized the need for a cooperative relationship with the British to safeguard Cherokee interests, advocating for neutrality during the American Revolution. Throughout his life, he focused on protecting the rights of the Cherokee while navigating the complexities of a rapidly changing political landscape. Oconostota's legacy is characterized by his commitment to peace and diplomacy in the face of external pressures.
Subject Terms
Oconostota
- Born: c. 1710
- Birthplace: Now in eastern Tennessee
- Died: 1783
- Place of death: Overhill Cherokee Territory, Tennessee
Tribal affiliation: Cherokee
Significance: Oconostota helped to shape early Cherokee policy toward British and French colonists in what became the southeastern United States
Oconostota was born on the western side of the southern Appalachian Highlands. As a young warrior, he so distinguished himself that by 1736, in his mid-twenties, he was the war chief of the Cherokee. During the eighteenth century, a time of rivalry in North America between the British and the French, most Cherokee leaders favored ties to the British; Oconostota was the exception. When the smallpox epidemic of 1738 broke out, the French told the Cherokee that the British had planted the smallpox germ. Oconostota survived his bout with the disease, but for the rest of his life he blamed the British for his smallpox-pitted face.
Following the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Oconostota found it necessary to work for a mutually beneficial relationship with the British, including Cherokee neutrality during the American Revolution. Until his death in 1783, Oconostota tried to protect the rights of the Cherokee while maintaining peaceful relations with the new nation that was emerging from the American Revolution.