There is an often repeated story that the Cherokee were given blankets infected with smallpox from a hospital in Tennessee during the Cherokee removal (Trail of Tears). In fact, the Cherokee population had already been greatly reduced by epidemics in the previous hundred years.
In the 1700s, the Cherokee Nation faced significant challenges as they found themselves caught in the struggle for power and influence between European powers. During this period, the Cherokee experienced devastating disease outbreaks, particularly smallpox, and navigated the complex political landscape that included the French, British, and other Native American tribes.
In 1738, a catastrophic smallpox epidemic swept through Cherokee settlements, decimating their population and causing widespread suffering. Many Cherokee, including Chief Oconostota, believed that the British had deliberately introduced the virus by contaminating trade goods they had shipped to the Cherokee people. While there is no definitive proof of this allegation, it highlights the deep-rooted mistrust between the Cherokee and European settlers.
During this time, the Cherokee and other Native American tribes became entangled in the rivalry between the French and British colonial powers vying for control of the lucrative fur trade in North America. This rivalry culminated in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), which was part of the broader Seven Years’ War. The Cherokee initially sided with the British but later shifted their allegiance to the French due to disputes over trade and territorial encroachments.
In the spring of 1763, a second smallpox epidemic emerged and spread to Fort Pitt, a strategic British outpost. A hospital was set up at the fort to treat the afflicted troops, but the disease also impacted the surrounding Native American populations. As tensions mounted between the colonists and Native American tribes, violent conflicts erupted, challenging British military control in the region.
William Trent was a fur trader who was commissioned as a captain at Fort Pitt. He wrote in his journal for June 24, 1763, that two Delaware had come to arrange for Indian leaders “Turtle’s Heart” and “Mamaltee, a Chief” to meet with the British. It didn’t go well, but the Indians were given “gifts” of food in “large quantities”, some “600 Rations”. Trent also wrote “Out of our regard to them we gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of the Small Pox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect.”
In response to the uprisings, the British government issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which aimed to establish a boundary between colonial settlements and Native American lands. While this proclamation temporarily eased tensions, it ultimately failed to prevent further westward expansion and conflicts between European settlers and indigenous peoples.
At the time Lord Jeffery Amherst commanded the British military forces stationed in North America. He discussed with his troops the advantages of hunting down Indians with dogs, versus infecting them with smallpox.
Could it not be contrived to send the Small Pox among those disaffected tribes of Indians?“
Lord Jeffery Amherst
In a letter to Colonel Henry Bouquet dated July 7, 1763, Amherst writes “Could it not be contrived to send the Small Pox among those disaffected tribes of Indians?” In a later letter to Bouquet Amherst repeats the idea: “You will do well to try to inoculate the Indians by means of blankets, as well as to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race.”
Bouquet wrote back, “I will try to inoculate [them] with some blankets that may fall in their hands, and take care not to get the disease myself.”
The events of the 1700s significantly impacted the Cherokee Nation and their relationships with European powers. The devastating smallpox outbreaks, the shifting alliances in the French and Indian War, and the ongoing struggle for control of land and resources all contributed to a tumultuous and challenging period in Cherokee history.
Though thousands died during the removal west in 1838, there is no evidence of a major smallpox outbreak along the trail.
