Hopewell 1785 and Holston 1791: settler intrusion onto Cherokee land

What happened

The Treaty of Hopewell (November 28, 1785, 7 Stat. 18) set a boundary. In Article V it said any U.S. citizen who tried to settle west or south of it, or who would not leave within six months, would "forfeit the protection of the United States," and the Indians "may punish him or not as they please." One exception applied. It did not cover "the people settled between the fork of French Broad and Holstein rivers," whose situation was sent to Congress for decision.

That exception was where the trouble grew. The Tennessee Encyclopedia describes the unrecognized State of Franklin. It says that in June 1785 "a token number of Cherokee chiefs" signed the Dumplin Creek Treaty with Franklin, allowing settlement south of the French Broad River. In November a larger Cherokee delegation met American representatives at Hopewell and set a line north of Greeneville. "The two conflicting treaties soon produced open warfare between the Franklinites and the Cherokees." By August 1786 the Cherokees, the encyclopedia says, were "defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Coyatee," which allowed settlement as far south as the Little Tennessee River.

The Treaty of Holston (July 2, 1791, 7 Stat. 39) drew a new boundary in Article IV. In Article VII the United States "solemnly guarantee to the Cherokee nation, all their lands not hereby ceded." The boundary was reset by treaty rather than restored.

Good to know. Hopewell's ban on settlement did not cover settlers already between the French Broad and Holston rivers; the treaty left their case to Congress.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error