Native Life: The Great Indian Warpath

How many of us have heard the expression 'on the warpath', meaning that someone was angry and looking for an argument or fight.  There was an actual path, or rather a series of them, used by Natives for both trade and to move war parties and prisoners.  Called the Great Indian Warpath, the Great Indian War and Trading Path, or the Seneca Trail, this road, or series of roads stretched from near what is now Mobile, Alabama to near Niagara falls.  Other trails from as far away as St. Augustine, Florida bisected with this main path at certain points.  Most of these roads appear to connect in what is now West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky, much like a modern interstate system.  From the Allegheny Mountains, other trails continued through New England and into Newfoundland.

The Warpath got its name from British traders, who mixed the Algonquian words for 'Great Path' with the Shawnee and Delaware terms for 'Path Where They Go Armed'.  Some of these trails were made following animal tracks through the forest, especially toward watering holes, which might be easier places to ford rivers.  Over time, they became well-worn footpaths along which Natives traded, touched base with allied tribes, and maneuvered during times of war.  Travel on these paths was always by foot, since the horse wasn't introduced in this region until after European settlement.  In order to mark various trails, Natives used carvings in trails, landmarks, and trees deliberately contorted into odd shapes.  Many of these trees still exist, although some declared trail-marker trees may be the product of storm damage or people attempting to copy the Native techniques.  Many of thee trees, though, are legit.  On a well-maintained trail, Native warriors and traders could travel up to 25 miles per day.

As Settlers moved into the Appalachian Mountains, they too used these trails to get around.  They were also used as boundary markers.  In the 1763 Royal Proclamation prohibiting settlement in the Appalachian Mountains, the boundary of the Seneca trail in New York was the dividing line between White and Native territory.  In the next few installments of Great Warriors Path, we'll focus on three main activities along these trails, trade, war and captives
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