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Moytoy of Tellico

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Nationality
  
Died
  
1741

Successor
  
Name
  
Moytoy Tellico

Residence
  
Moytoy of Tellico wwwwikitreecomphotophpthumb880Moytoy33jp
Born
  
c. 1687
Tellico

Title
  
First Beloved Man of the Cherokee

Moytoy of Tellico, (d. 1741) (Amo-adawehi in Cherokee, meaning "rainmaker.") was a prominent leader of the Cherokee in the American Southeast. He was given the title of "Emperor of the Cherokee" by Sir Alexander Cumming, a Scots-Anglo trade envoy in what was then the Province of South Carolina, and is regularly referred to as "King" in official English reports, as this was a familiar term of rank to colonists. He was from Great Tellico, an historic Cherokee town in what is now Tennessee.

In 1730 Cumming, a Scottish adventurer with ties to the colonial government of South Carolina, arranged for Moytoy to be crowned emperor over all of the Cherokee towns in a ceremony intended to appeal to Cumming's colonial sponsors. The Cherokee was crowned in the town of Nikwasi with a headdress referred to as the "Crown of Tannassy." Cumming arranged to take Moytoy and a group of Cherokee to England to meet King George II. Moytoy declined to go, saying that his wife was ill. Attakullakulla (Little Carpenter) volunteered to go in his place. The Cherokee laid the "Crown" at King George's feet, along with four scalps.

According to some authorities, Moytoy's wife was a woman named Go-sa-du-isga,. After the death of Moytoy, his son, Amouskositte, tried to succeed him as "Emperor". However, by 1753 Kanagatucko (Old Hop) of Chota in the Overhill Towns had emerged as the dominant leader in the area.

References

Moytoy of Tellico Wikipedia