A Colonial Complex: South Carolina's Frontiers in the Era of the Yamasee War, 1680-1730

by Steven J. Oatis

In 1715 the upstart British colony of South Carolina was nearly destroyed in an unexpected conflict with many of its Indian neighbors, most notably the Yamasees, a group whose sovereignty had become increasingly threatened. The South Carolina militia retaliated repeatedly until, by 1717, the Yamasees were nearly annihilated, and their survivors fled to Spanish Florida. The war not only sent shock waves throughout South Carolina's government, economy, and society, but also had a profound impact on colonial and Indian cultures from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River. Drawing on a diverse range of colonial records, A Colonial Complex builds on recent developments in frontier history and depicts the Yamasee War as part of a colonial a broad pattern of exchange that linked the Southeast’s Indian, African, and European cultures throughout the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. In the first detailed study of this crucial conflict, Steven J. Oatis shows the effects of South Carolina’s aggressive imperial expansion on the issues of frontier trade, combat, and diplomacy, viewing them not only from the perspective of English South Carolinians but also from that of the societies that dealt with the South Carolinians both directly and indirectly. Readers will find new information on the deerskin trade, the Indian slave trade, imperial rivalry, frontier military strategy, and the major transformations in the cultural landscape of the early colonial Southeast.

Genres: Native American History

399 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 2004

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Colonial Complex provides a very interesting look at an often forgotten war in colonial America. The Yamasee War fought by the Indians that would become known as the creeks was a devastating conflict for both sides. It shaped the colonial mindset with regards to the Creeks and developed the role of the Cherokee for the future of colonial relations. It sets the stage for the development of Georgia as a colony and continues the erosion of Indian sovereignty by adding more boundaries to the creek nation. There are very few books that analyze the creek and almost none that take into account the Yamasee war. If you are interested in colonial affairs this is a must read. It is well written, concise and straight to the point.