Dragging Canoe was leader of the Chickamauga’s and was born in Tennessee. He has been identified as one of the greatest Cherokee military leaders ever. He fought many battles against white settlers, however in 1776, white settlers began to claim more of the Native’s land. Thus, 14 tribes came together and formed an alliance with the Cherokee. When the Revolutionary war started, Dragging Canoe thought it would be a good chance for his people to invade the isolated white settlements. However, after a series of battles the Cherokee alliance had been defeated. At this point, the Cherokee’s wished to quit fighting, but Dragging Canoe insisted that they continue to fight for their land. Then, he went past the Overhill town and created New Settlements on the Chickamauga Creek, which was where the “Battle of Bluffs” began when an army invaded their town. However, this time Dragging Canoe was able to defeat the American troop and keep the land. Then as he aged, he stopped fighting and worked to preserve the Cherokee culture and even establish alliances with other tribes. He impacted history by leading battles and stopping the spread of American’s into Native land by continuing to fight and expand the Native’s land and territory in North America. http://www.etsu.edu/cas/tahg/pictures/Revolution/documents/era3_ss_dixon_07.pdf
James Robertson
James Robertson was the leader of the Watauga and Cumberland settlements, he has also been called the “father of Tennessee”. In 1769, he became angry with the provincial government of North Carolina. So interested in the tales of land west of the Appalachians, he explored the land and settled over there. He established his land by building a small home for himself, then he went back to North Carolina to tell others about it. He became the leader of both the Watauga and Cumberland settlements. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1137
Little Carpenter
Little Carpenter was also known as “Attakullakulla”. He was a Cherokee who was the son of the chief. He is known being a warrior and for stopping a wanderer who explored the Cherokee land and demanded the tribes pay homage to King George in order to increase trade and create good relations between the two groups. Then, the new white settler said he would take seven Cherokee members to meet the king as proof to the Natives, and Little Carpenter was chosen. In London, he was captured by the French who held him captive in Canada. He also tried to peacefully negotiate. He was important because he attempted and to stop people and new groups from invading their land, as well as being chosen to take part in a trip to England. http://www.tennesseehistory.com/class/Attakulla.htm
John Donelson
John Donelson was a land speculator from Middle Tennessee and is partially known for leading settlers through a dangerous water journey to the Cumberland settlement in the winter of 1779-1780. He was the surveyor of the Pittsylvania county from 1767-1779 and a member of the House of Burgesses from 1769-1774. He was selected by Richard Henderson along with James Robertson to lead a group of settlers into the Cumberland River Region. Robertson planned for an overland trip while Donelson decided to embark on a water route. Donelson gathered nearly 30 families to take the from Fort Patrick Henry on December 22, 1779. The boat called The Adventure only held a small amount of goods necessary for survival. He led his group of canoes, flat boats, and dugouts on an a journey that went through the Holston, Tennessee, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers. Donelson kept a diary of his journey starting from the very first day of their mission. They finally reached the end of their dangerous journey on April 24, 1780 and reunited with friends and family in the what is now Nashville. Then within a week of Donelson’s arrival, the Cumberland Compact was written and he was the fifth signer. He was important to Tennessee history because he was led such a large group by water and was able to contribute a lot to the habitation of what is now Nashville. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=390
Long Hunters
A Long hunter was an 18th-century explorer and hunter who made expeditions into the American frontier wilderness for as much as six months at a time. They took long journeys resulting in a variety of animals and resources brought back for their settlements. Long hunters were usually accumulated of land owners along the Holston and Clinch rivers. They helped to establish hunting grounds and creating food and finding food sources for the people in Tennessee. http://vagenweb.org/lee/HSpubl35.htm
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was born on November 2, 1734, in Pennsylvania. In 1755, he left home on an expedition during the French and Indian War. Boone led an expedition and discovered a trail to the far west though the Cumberland Gap. This trail was called the Wilderness Trail, the main passage to the Western United Sates. In 1775, he settled in an area he called Boonsboro in Kentucky, but faced Indian resistance. His impact on Tennessee history came from his explorations and discoveries of Tennessee, as well as spreading the word about this state. http://www.biography.com/people/daniel-boone-9219543#synopsis
William Bean
He was the first permanent settler in Tennessee, who built a log cabin near the Boone river and Watauga creek (near present day Johnson City). He is important when evaluating Tennessee's history because he was the first settler and resident of Tennessee. http://americanprofile.com/articles/tennessees-first-permanent-settler-william-bean/
Thomas Sharpe Spencer
He was the first white settler in Middle Tennessee. He was on a long hunt, and liked it there so he staked it out and built cabins on the land. He was known for his incredible physical strength and toughness. He fought in many battle and Indian skirmishes. His importance comes from the fact that he was the first white man to inhabit middle Tennessee. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1243
Dr. Thomas Walker
He assembled the first known English expedition through Cumberland Gap in 1750. He named the gap through the mountains after the Duke of Cumberland. The Walker expedition came to Kentucky to explore and lay claim to 800,000 acres of western wilderness. In April, 1750, the explorers encountered a river that Walker also named the Cumberland. He stayed in that area for a few days and then headed on his journey home to Virginia. He left a journal behind telling that on his expedition home, he killed:13 buffaloes, 8 elks, 53 bears, 20 deer, 4 wild geese, about 150 turkeys, not including small http://www.parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/thomas-walker/history.aspx
Nancy Ward
Nancy Ward was born in the year of 1738, wanted to change the way that Cherokee people were looked upon. She continuously attempted to make peace with the Americans as war broke out and discrimination was happening. During the Revolution, Ward saved many lives, and became friends with many American settlers. Ward warned Americans of a Cherokee attack, saving many lives and gaining trust from Americans. http://biography.yourdictionary.com/nancy-ward
Richard Henderson
Richard Henderson was born on April 20th, 1735 in Hanover County, Virginia County. In 1769, he became a Supreme Court judge. He tried to found a fourteenth colony called Transylvania around the time of the Revolutionary War. He was re-elected for judge, but Transylvania did not succeed. He actually got the land and was moving in, but some pioneer did not let that happen. “In 1764 Henderson organized Richard Henderson and Company to take advantage of opportunities for land and profit in the West. He hired Daniel Boone to explore the region beyond the mountains, sending Boone into Kentucky in 1769.”