Places: Hopewell Plantation

Some people stood at the center of history through luck, connections and their own inclinations.  One of these was Andrew Pickens.  Though he'd begun his career as an "Indian Fighter" opposing the Cherokee, he'd gained fame as a Revolutionary War hero at the Battle of Cowpens, 1781.  A prosperous man, he founded a plantation on the Seneca River in what is now Pickens County, South Carolina.  It was also a crossroads for the Cherokee, who were still very much present in what had been their traditional hunting ranges in the area.  As much as he'd once fought them, the two sides developed a mutual respect.  The Cherokee gave Pickens a name that mean Wise Owl, and he welcomed them and other Native Americans to his home.

Pickens was also a friend of United States Indian Agent Benjamin Hawkins.  He also knew fellow Revolutionary War officer Joseph Plumb Martin, who'd served with him at Cowpens.  All these men were from the planter class, had served in the Continental army, and in the Continental Congress at one time or another.  They had also developed connections with the local Southeastern tribes.  They would be used by the Continental Congress and later the Washington Administration to negotiate several treaties with these tribes, including the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw.  Because Pickens' home was centrally located, Hawkins felt free to use it as a meeting point to negotiate with Native leaders.  History happened several times under an oak tree on the property, which is now administered by Clemson University.

The First Treaty of Hopewell, between the Cherokee and the United States, defined the supposed western boundary of American expansion onto Cherokee land.  The Cherokees later referred to this and other treaties as Talking Leaves, knowing that once the Americans had no further use of it, this treaty would be thrown away like dead leaves that no longer spoke.  In fact, this treaty did nothing to stop settlers pouring into Tennessee, living on Cherokee land claimed by the State of Franklin, the successor to the Watauga Association. 

The Second Treaty of Hopewell involved the United States and members of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes.  The Choctaws signed on January 3, 1786 and the Chickasaws on January 10, 1786.  Both treaties attempted to set boundaries to the encroachment of White settlement.  The United States agreed to evict trespassers.  The Natives agreed to return escaped slaves and any captives taken in Native raids.  These treaties, and their expressions of friendship and protection, would also be forgotten in due time.  Hopewell remained in the Pickens family and eventually became part of Clemson University, which oversees the property today.  The treaty oak is no longer in existence and a plaque marks the approximate location.