The colony of South Carolina was founded in 1663 by King Charles II, who
split the land and gave it to eight nobles. After mismanagement of the colony,
the area was reclaimed by the English Crown. The area was part of the Cherokee
Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and
Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families already had
settled just within the boundary, and White traders regularly crossed the area.
The first White man to settle permanently in the area was Richard Pearis; he
married a Cherokee and was given several tracts of land by the tribe. The
