Indian Woods

1. 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

2. Indian Woods
The Forgotten History

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

6. Indian Woods, 1717-1803.

9. Cultures Represented in Eastern North Carolina.

25. Indian Woods ReservationIndian Woods Reservation
Established in 1717Established in 1717

30. Tuscarora (Native American)
AfricanEuropean
MIXED RACE OR CREOLIZED PEOPLESMIXED RACE OR CREOLIZED PEOPLES
OF “INDIAN WOODS”OF “INDIAN WOODS”

31. The Historic Importance of theThe Historic Importance of the
“Tuscarora” and “Indian Woods”“Tuscarora” and “Indian Woods”
to Native-American, African-to Native-American, African-
American, American andAmerican, American and
North Carolina HistoryNorth Carolina History

32. North Carolina – the firstNorth Carolina – the first
area the English attemptedarea the English attempted
to settleto settle
The first area the EnglishThe first area the English
introduced Whites (1587)introduced Whites (1587)
and Africans (1586)and Africans (1586) 3333
years before Africans areyears before Africans are
introduced intointroduced into
Jamestown, Virginia inJamestown, Virginia in
(1619)(1619)
Both Africans andBoth Africans and
Whites merged with theWhites merged with the
Coastal Indians and theCoastal Indians and the
Tuscarora to create someTuscarora to create some
of the first mixed-raceof the first mixed-race
people in North Americapeople in North America
between 1586 and 1619between 1586 and 1619

34. 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.

35. Mixed-Race Indians ofMixed-Race Indians of
North Carolina andNorth Carolina and
Virginia 1587 to 1711Virginia 1587 to 1711
1. Machpunga, NC1. Machpunga, NC
2. Bear River, NC2. Bear River, NC
3. Matemeskett, NC3. Matemeskett, NC
4. Chowanoc, NC4. Chowanoc, NC
5. Yeopim, NC5. Yeopim, NC
6. Hatteras, NC6. Hatteras, NC
7. Coree, NC7. Coree, NC
8. Neuse, NC8. Neuse, NC
9. Pamlico, NC9. Pamlico, NC
10. Tuscarora, NC10. Tuscarora, NC
11. Meherrin, VA11. Meherrin, VA
12. Nottoway, VA12. Nottoway, VA
13. Nanticoke, VA13. Nanticoke, VA
14. Delaware, VA14. Delaware, VA

36.  The Tuscarora of North Carolina absorbed Whites, BlacksThe 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
CoastalCoastal
NativeNative
AmericansAmericans
absorbedabsorbed
AfricansAfricans
absorbedabsorbed
Poor WhitesPoor Whites
absorbedabsorbed

38. North Carolina and VirginiaNorth 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)

40. 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).

42. 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.

43. 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.

44. NativeNative
AmericanAmerican
and Whites.and Whites.
Tuscarora Were Taken as Slaves
by Indians and Whites
1711 to 1713
Cherokees
Tuscarora Diaspora
Creeks
Yamasee
Catawbas
White Slavers
SC, NC & VA
Many scatted into the Swamps of eastern North Carolina and the Piedmont
of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland Others enslaved

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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.“

48. North Carolina and VirginiaNorth 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 MixedTuscarora 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 WhiteTuscarora settle with other Indians, Free Blacks and White
Traders and settlersTraders and settlers
 NC and VA Native NationsNC 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)

49. 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

50. Tuscarora Present Wampum Belt toTuscarora Present Wampum Belt to
“Five Nations” and Become“Five Nations” and Become
the “Sixth Nation” of thethe “Sixth Nation” of the
Iroquois ConfederacyIroquois Confederacy

51. Chiefs of the Six NationsChiefs of the Six Nations

52. NativeNative
AmericanAmerican
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

53. 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.

54. The Six Nations, SoutheasternThe Six Nations, Southeastern
Nations and the 13 Colonies 1763Nations and the 13 Colonies 1763

55. Native Americans
AfricansEuropeans
THE TUSCARORA AND THETHE TUSCARORA AND THE
CREOLIZATION OF AMERCIACREOLIZATION OF AMERCIA

56. The Rascoe sistersThe Rascoe sisters
From Indian WoodsFrom Indian Woods
and some other families:and some other families:
1. Rascoe1. Rascoe
2. Bond2. Bond
3. Freeman3. Freeman
4. Allen4. Allen
5. Brown5. Brown
6. Smallwood6. Smallwood
7. Mitchell7. Mitchell
8. Pugh8. Pugh
9. Cherry9. Cherry
10. Outlaw10. Outlaw
11. Walton11. Walton
12. Manning12. Manning
13. Jones13. Jones
14. White14. White

58. Indian woods
The Forgotten History

59. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Tuscarora History in North CarolinaTuscarora History in North Carolina
Department of HistoryDepartment of History