Dear Cousin Josie, and Cousins on the List: Josie, you are always interesting! Sorry to have taken so long to respond. Thank you for your lively comments. I did refer to Whites being treated fairly, too! >We do not want to judge Whites, African Americans, or >Native Americans (or any other ethnic group) by current cultural standards. >But most of all we do not want to repeat errors, misinformation, and genealogical >and historical sloppiness to perpetrate cruel, inaccurate stereotypes >of any ethnic group. Native - White Settler relationships on the >frontiers were extremely complicated, and need to be addressed in >historically ethical and objective ways. I have given up bashing just about everything and everybody, except with those dumb blond jokes! If I did that, then I probably wouldn't have a thing in the world to look forward to. Also, I'd probably be perfect then, and nobody would be able to stand me at all! Now to get back to reality -- Indians got it both ways in all the Wars. They sided with the British in the Revolutionary War, and with Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, and essentially with the South in the Civil War. In the War of 1812 Jackson thereupon turned against the Indians and marched them along the Trail of Tears despite a Supreme Court Ruling against it. Fifteen thousand Cherokees had signed a petition protesting their removal, along with Principal Chief John Ross, which was presented to Congress. Estimates have previously been about 4,000 Cherokees dead on the Trail of Tears 1838-9 (John Ross' wife Quatie was one) but it is likely that that number is at least 4,000 too low. Only about 1000 Cherokees were able to remain in North Carolina, and almost none in Georgia. These details are very important as we move down the Appalacians into the south. Cherokees originally occupied territory in western Virginia, all the way to northern Georgia. Love, Your Cousin, Carolyn Carolyn McDaniel cmacdee@teleport.com ========================================= --- Visit American Crossroads --- http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads