This paper will explore the role of rumor between British settlers and Cherokee Indians from the 1740s to the Cherokee War of 1759-61. In the backcountry of the southern British colonies, where conflicts often resulted in small scale but brutal violence and no single group had a monopoly on military power, rumor was a vital factor in conflict. A rumor of impending attack could send settlers or Indians streaming away from the perceived threat straining resources in nearby areas and creating havoc. Rumor was used by both Indians and whites in peace and war to attain their ends.

All papers are pre-circulated electronically to those who plan to attend the seminar in person. For a copy of the paper, e-mail Heather Radke at scholl@newberry.org, or call 312-255-3524. Please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.

http://www.newberry.org/scholl

The Newberry Library Seminar in Early American History and Culture
Co-sponsored by the History Departments of DePaul University, Lake Forest College, Loyola University Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Karla Scherer Center for the Study of American Culture at the University of Chicago