near the Tennessee River in central Tennessee and northern Alabama.From here, they had the unofficial encouragement of the Spanish governments of Floridaand Louisiana and began to attack nearby American settlements. One of these incidentsalmost killed a young Nashville attorney/land speculator named Andrew Jackson, whichmay explain his later attitude regarding the Cherokee. Dragging Canoe died in 1792, but a new round of violence exploded that year with theAmerican settlements in central Tennessee and northern Alabama. After two years offighting with Tennessee militia, support from other Cherokee declined, and theChickamauga's resolve began to weaken. Following the American victory at FallenTimbers (1794), the last groups of the Ohio Chickamauga returned to Tennessee.Meanwhile, the Spanish government had decided to settle its border disputes with theUnited States by diplomatic means and ended its covert aid to the Cherokee. After a finalbattle near Muscle Shoals in Alabama, the Chickamauga realized it was impossible stopthe Americans by themselves. By 1794 large groups of Chickamauga had started to crossthe Mississippi and settle with the Western Cherokee in Spanish Arkansas. The migrationwas complete by 1799, and open warfare between the Cherokee and Americans ended. The Keetoowah (Western Cherokee or Old Settlers) had their origin with a small group ofpro-French Cherokee which relocated to northern Arkansas and southeastern Missouriafter the French defeat by the British in 1763. The Spanish welcomed them and grantedland. Towards the end of the American Revolution in 1782, they were joined a group ofpro-British Cherokee. With the migration of the Chickamauga (1794-99), the Keetoowahbecame formidable and a threat to the Osage who originally claimed the territory.Cherokee and Osage warfare was fairly common in 1803 when the United States gainedcontrol of the area through the Louisiana Purchase. With continued migration, theWestern Chero...
