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Acknowledgments My appreciation runs deep for the many forms of assistance I have received over the years. Jessica Kross first sparked my interest in early American history and changed the direction of my future research. I am fortunate to have been under her tutelage. I also thank Alice Kasakoff, Dan Littlefield, Dean Kinzley, Kathryn Edwards, Larry Glickman, Pat Maney, Lacy Ford, Mark Smith, Ken Clements, and Robert Weir for their instruction and support. Since arriving at West Virginia University, my colleagues and students have greatly assisted me in the early stages of my career. Ken and Liz Fones-Wolf welcomed us to Morgantown and have since proved invaluable friends and mentors. Bob Blobaum has likewise provided guidance and friendship, usually on the golf course, where such advice is most regarded . Ken, Matt Vester, and Brian Luskey generously donated their time to review portions of this work. Isaac Emrick deserves special mention for turning crude hand-drawn maps into their current form. Colleagues at other institutions have further enriched my research. I thank Christina Snyder for critiquing an initial draft of this manuscript. Ted Gragson helped me to better understand Cherokee country through maps. Elaine Forman Crane lent her support at a crucial time in my career . Josh Piker has been an invaluable mentor for many years, which has greatly aided my professional development. Meredith Morris-Babb is a first-rate editor, and the staff at UPF has been very helpful in seeing this project through. Manuscript readers Andrew Frank and Steven Hahn deserve ample credit for challenging me to improve the book’s style, structure , and argument. This book also would not have been possible without generous financial support: The Jacob Price Fellowship awarded by the William L. Clements Library funded research at the University of Michigan. The Phillips Fund xii · Acknowledgments Fellowship granted by the American Philosophical Society allowed for research in Philadelphia. The Huntington Library’s Fletcher Jones Foundation Fellowship provided generous support for research and writing in San Marino, California. The Archie K. Davis Fellowship from the North Caroliniana Society enabled me to utilize the collections at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library. West Virginia University and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences provided funding through the Faculty Senate Research Grant and the Riggle Fellowship in the Humanities . This project was also completed with financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. I sincerely thank all the many individuals at these institutions, who are too numerous to list here, for their hospitality, expertise, and guidance. Several of these chapters draw upon and rework previously published pieces. Portions of the introduction and chapter 1 appeared in “Native American and National Identity in Early North America,” from History Compass (August 2006), 927–32 and in “The Effect of the Seven Years’ War on the Cherokee Nation,” from Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal (Fall 2007), 395–426, the latter of which also included material from chapters 5 and 6. Chapter 3 reworks my essay, “‘Bound to live and die in defence of their country’: Conflict and Community in Cherokee Country,” first published in Journal of Early American Wars and Armed Conflicts (November 2005), 2–21. Beyond doubt the greatest encouragement for my research has come from family members. My mother and father have given too much of their wealth, love, and guidance over the years to recount here. This book is for them. My brother Hunt, also a professor of early American history, has helped me to become a better teacher and scholar. Our discussions about history, teaching, and research have been most rewarding, something to which brother Bret can attest. Dan and Eola read portions of this manuscript , and I additionally thank all my extended family for their support. Last but not least, my wife, Jenny, challenged me the most. When asked to proof my writing, her usual response was “How long is it?” In all seriousness , she has meant more to my well-being and professional development than she could possibly know. She and our children, Bennett, Jessup, and Mazie, keep me grounded in the important things in life. ...

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