1700’s Woodland Women

Woodland Women Attire of the 18th Century

This page is a document page of eye witness accounts which have documented Woodland Women’s attire during the 18th Century. I am constantly adding additional documentation as I find it. The names and dates of written documentation are listed in parentheses at the end of the documented statement. ***Please Note: the exact wording is used so there may be words spelled differently than what we are use to in this modern time. It is not a misprint or mistake…the wordage is as they wrote it.***

Resources for documentation are listed at the bottom of this page.

Armlets (Armbands)-
…women bedecked themselves with necklets of brass wire (Jacobs 1858: 32), “seed” bead chokers (Fig. 17), multiple strands of large glass beads, and silver armlets and brooches. (Trade Ornament Usage Among the Native Peoples of Canada, By: Karlis Karklins, pg. 34 15th – 19th Century)

They have also many silver bracelets which the wear upon their arms and wrists. (By Joseph Hadfield 1785)

…and wore on their wrists and arms silver bracelets, from on to four inches in width. (By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792)​

It is a fashion with them to wear bracelets of wampum…on the arms. (By Charles Beatty)

…& women with silver & ivory or bone bracelets over their arms. (By David McClure 1748-1820)

His daughter, who appeared to be a girl about 13 years old, had a very pleasing Indian countenance, and her arms were ornamented with silver bracelets of considerable breadth, both above and below the elbow. (By Robert Sutcliff 1804, 1805 and 1806)

Bags-
​The women who carry everything by means of carrying girth fixed to the forehead. These carrying girths are made by the women of wild hemp which is first spun. That part of these girths which passes across the breast and over the shoulders is three fingers [inches] broad and decorated with various figures; from it depend long, plaited, durable bands, to which the burden is bound. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)​

Baskets-
(By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan)
…river cane basket making… (pg.13)
…Cherokees sent… river cane baskets… (pg. 33)
Native plants and dyeing techniques were used to create colors for Cherokee baskets and cloth. (pg.104)
…hulls, bark, root bark of wallnut…yield black dye (pg.104)
…red dye could have come from blood root – which is used as a a basket dye. (pg. 104)
…river cane splints used in making baskets and mats and for leather. (pg. 112)
…they used river cane baskets… (pg. 117)
…carried white-oak baskets purses (pg. 136)
Women who wanted a traditional Cherokee purse carried a white-oak basket purse. (pg. 140)

…make earthen vessels, and basket work… (Timberlake 2007, 32-33)
​

Bells/Thimbles-
…they have, moreover, a number of little bells and brass thimbles fixed round their ancles, which, when they walk, make a tinkling noise, which is heard at some distance…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

…have thimbles and little bells rattling at their ancles…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

…and with little bells, which tinkle as they walk.  (By Pierre Pouchot 1755-1760)​

…they also fasten on little bells sold to them by the Europeans. (By J.C.B. 1751-1761)

…they add some glass beads and tiny copper bells, which are either round or long and trumpet shaped. (By J.C.B. 1751-1761)​

They are very fond of wearing little bells… (By Louis LeClere de Milford 1775-1795)​

Face Paint-
Painted upper part of their foreheads and their cheeks with vermilion. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)

…but they paint only the cheek-bones, for the most part red. (By Duke De La Rouchefoucault Liancourt 1795, 1796 and 1797)

…make a round red spot upon each cheek, and redden their eyelids, the tops of their foreheads, and some the rim of their ears and temples. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

We have observed only two women who had painted a red line across their head, and some color on the cheeks. (By Paola Andreani 1790)

Before they come out to dance, they painted their faces red. The women as well as the men painted their faces red. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)

They sometimes put vermillion into the streak where the hair is parted and behind the ears….paint the whole face, when they are fully arrayed, reddish brown above and vermillion below. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

To add a finishing touch, they paint their faces with red vermillion which they buy from Europeans. (By J.C.B., French Soldier between 1751 – 1761)

The women of every nation generally place a spot of paint, about the size of a crown-piece, against each ear; some of them put paint on their hair, and sometime a small spot in the middle of the forehead. (By J. Carver, Esq. 1766, 1767 and 1768)​

The women, like the men, paint their faces with red ochre… (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760-1776)

…women paint with Vermillion and other colours mixed with Bear’s Oil… (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)​

They sometimes put vermillion into the streak where the hair is parted, and behind the ears. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

The skin is painted, or else ornamented with beads of various colours. (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760 and 1776)

…women paint their faces almost daily, especially if they go out to a dance in the evening. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

Indian women never paint their faces with a variety of figured, but rather make a round red spot upon each cheek and redden the eyelids, the tops of their heads and, in some cases, the rims of the ears and the temples. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

The women make use of vermilion in painting themselves for dance, but they are very careful…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

All these things, together with the vermilion paint, judiciously laid on, so as to set her off in the highest style…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)​

Their cheeks were painted red, but no other part of their face. (By Charles Johnston 1790)

(By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan)
…red paint worn by the Cherokees…came from red ochre. They used kaolin to make white paint. (pg. 40)
Cherokee face paint was often applied in individual designs and worn by men and women. (pg. 40)
Detail from powder horn ca. 1775 is the only known image of a Cherokee woman from the 1700’s…Her hair is pulled back and folded over in a bun and she has spots of red paint on their cheeks. (pg. 32)
Women…retained their hairstyles, paint, and tattooing. (pg. 31)

…I even saw a few women who had painted their faces with vermillion, using it artfully and pleasingly.  (Sturtevant 1978, 85, 90)

Feather Capes/Mantles-
Some have a short cloak, just large enough to cover the shoulders and breast; this is most ingeniously constructed, of feathers woven or placed in a natural imbricated manner, usually of the scarlet feathers of the flamingo, or others of the gayest colour. (By William Bartram 1791)

The women made blankets of turkey-feathers which were bound together with twine made of wild hemp. Of such many are to be found even at present day among the Indians, and these in winter are a better protection against the cold than the best European blanket. (By David Zeisberger 1772)

…in the cold weather they throw a short mantle round the shoulders. (By Duke De La Rouchefoucault Liancourt 1795, 1796 and 1797)

The feathers, being plucked off, were rubbed, and made as soft as possible. Then a narrow strip of soft, pliable bark, as along as the blanket was to be wide, was put down, and feathers placed on it, from end to end. Then a similar strip of bark was laid on the top, and these two strips of bark were sowed, or fastened together with bark thread. Then another strip was put und[er], and another tier of feathers & strip of bark over & so on, till one or more blankets were finished.  (By Payne, John Howard, and Daniel Sabin Butrick. The Payne-Butrick Papers, Vols. 1-6.Edited and Annotated by William L. Anderson, Jane L. Brown, and Anne F. Rogers. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2010)

Cherokees in 1762…still talked about the feather garments they had made and worn, a tradition that was longstanding among the Cherokees and other southeastern tribes. (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 92)

Three kinds of feather capes were made…placing overlapping rows of feathers on cloth…other was made by fastening feathers to a base of netting made of twine from plants. The third…added downy feathers into twine, resulting in a feather rope…fastened together to make garments.  (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 92)​

They likewise make turkey feather blankets with the long feathers of the neck and breast of that large fowl – they twist the inner end of the feathers very fast into a strong double thread of hemp, or the inner bark of the mulberry tree…this sort of blanket is not only very warm, but pleasing to the eye. (James Adair 1735 to 1770)

Gorgets-
Other imported shell items included columella beads and circular gorgets which graced the necks of women and children. (Trade Ornament Usage Among the Native Peoples of Canada, pg. 24 18th Century)

​The adorn their ears, necks and breast with corals, small crosses, little round escutcheons, and crescents, made either of silver or wampum. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

Eastern Migratory Tribe Ornament Trait List shows Gorgets (Neck/breast adornment) worn by F (female), M (males) and O (children). (Trade Ornament Usage Among the Native Peoples of Canada, pg. 50)

Circular and oval gorgets called “moons” were also poplular with the inhabitants of the Eastern Woodlands…(Trade Ornament Usage Among the Native Peoples of Canada, pg. 229 15th – 19th Century)

“In the 18th Century…There are a couple of designs that were unique to women…,” Mater said. “They depict woodpeckers, a symbol of the protector, and turkeys engraved on them facing each other between a striped pole.” (By Chickasaw artist Dustin Mater. Nativenewsonline.net 18th Century Adair)

In eastern Tennessee, rattlesnake gorgets were found primarily with adult women…found throughout the Southeast (By: Darla Spencer, Early Native Americans in West Virginia:  The Fort Ancient Culture, pg.27 Late PreHistoric Period)

Though this item was documented between 1830 – 1850, it is common knowledge Native women were wearing shell gorgets before metal. I am including this documentation until I can find an earlier dated document.
Among the grave goods was a silver crescent gorget.  The burial was repatriated to the Menominee Nation in 2001.  Here is the excerpt from the Federal Register notice: 
 In 1964, human remains representing 1 individual and 31 associated funerary objects were removed during excavations conducted by the
Wisconsin Archaeological Society from the Potato Rapids Burial Site (47-Mt-79), Peshtigo, Marinette County, WI. These remains and objects
were donated to the Oshkosh Public Museum by the Wisconsin Archaeological Society at an unknown date after 1964. No known individual was identified. The associated funerary objects include an iron axe, two bone beads, wampum beads, seed beadwork, a metal bowl, five silver bracelets, four silver brooches, six silver buttons, one metal can, one comb, one silver crescent, two silver earrings, three gunflints, one clay pipe, fabric, and fiber remains. The associated funerary objects are trade items consistent with materials owned by Menominee people circa A.D. 1830-1850. The Potato Rapids Burial Site is located within the area occupied by the Menominee Indians in the 19th century.
Link to the notice:  https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2000-10-25/html/00-27394.htm
Oshkosh Public Museum
1331 Algoma Boulevard
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Hair-
…they make great use of bear’s oil, with which they anoint their heads and bodies. (By Charles Beatty)

They anoint it with bear’s grease, to make it shine. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

Some tie it behind, then roll it up, and wrap a ribbon or the skin of a serpent round it… (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

…adorn their heads with a number of silver trinkets, of considerable weight. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

…and are sometimes at great pains in curious plaiting up their hair, adorning it with feathers. (By Patrick M’Robert 1774 & 1775).

The women wear the hair of their head, which is so long that it generally reaches to the middle of their legs, and sometimes to the ground, club’d, and ornamented with ribbons of various colours. (By Lieut. Henry Timberlake 1756 -1765)

…if not tied in a club with red gartering. (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

…their hair is tied behind and wrapped in ribbons. (By Peter Kalm 1750 and 1751)

They wear their hair parted in the middle of the forehead, and so arranged as to cover a part of their ears, and fastened behind by a queue, which falls down to the waist. This queue which is shaped like a lobster’s tail, is about four inches wide above and three below, and somewhat flat. It is covered with an eel skin, wrapped around it, and colored red. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

Their hair is parted and tied behind. (By Rev. David Jones 1772 -1773)

…is suffered to grow unmolested and tied in a kind of long club, with pieces of Red or Blue Cloth. (By Lieut. James M.Hadden 1776 and 1777)

…hair, which is exceeding black, and long, clubbed behind… (By John Filson 1784)

Their long, black hair was parted in front, drawn together behind, and formed into a club. (By Charles Johnston 1790)

They never cut their hair, but plait it in wreathes, which is turned up, and fastened on the crown, with a silver broach, forming a wreathed top-knot, decorated with an incredible quantity of silk ribband, of various colours, which stream down on every side, almost to the ground. 
 (By William Bartram 1791)

…they likewise fasten pieces of ribands of various colours to their hair behind, which are suffered to hang down to their very heels. (By Isaac Weld, Jun. 1795 -1797)

The women wear it very long, twisted down their Backs, with Beads, Feathers, and Wampum; and on their Heads most of them wear little Cornets of Brass or Copper…(By Peter Williamson October 2, 1754)

They keep it long, full and shiny; taking care to rub it frequently with bear grease which thickens it, and covering it with powder made of rotten wood. They make it as large as one’s fist, then wrap it with ell or snake skin. This pigtail is flattened on the back, and rounds a little higher up. (By J.C.B. 1751-1761)​​

The women let the hair grow long…bound in cloth and red ribbon, in the case of the rich, being further adorned with silver clasps of considerable weight from the top to the bottom. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

​They commonly wear it neatly platted up behind, and divided in front on the middle of the forehead. When they wish to appear finer than usual, they paint the small part of the skin, which appears on the separation of the hair, with a streak of vermilion… (By Isaac Weld, Jun. 1795, 1796 and 1797)

Jewelry-
…a great number of small brooches stuck in it. (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

They are very fond of beads, ear-rings, feathers, or other shewy toys, to adorn their head and neck… (By Patrick M’Robert 1774 & 1775)

Silver plates about three inches broad around the wrists of their arms, silver wheels in their ears…(By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

No rings in the nose but plenty in the ears. (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

They have large earrings… (By Peter Kalm 1750 and 1751)

…but they wear chains made of brass or beads, which descent low upon the shoulders. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

The fore arm is ornamented with silver broaches, three or four fingers wide, and the arms by a kind of wristlets made of wampum or colored porcupine quills with fringes of leather above and below. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

The Indians are fond of wearing rings upon all their fingers. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

Some of the women wear Silver Brooches each of which passes for a shilling and are as current among the Indians as money. (By Richard Smith 1769)

ears…but some have ten silver rings in them. (By Rev. David Jones 1772 -1773)

The ears of the women are pierced and decorated. (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760 and 1776)

The wrists are adorned with bracelets of copper or brass, manufactured from old kettles. (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760 and 1776)

The old women bored her ears with a darning needle in six places, and put silver rings in them. (By Elizabeth Hicks 1775 to 1783)

…women wear silver bracelets… (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

They have also many silver bracelets which the wear upon their arms and wrists. (By Joseph Hadfield 1785)

Her garments, all new were set off with rows of silver broaches, one row joining the other. Over her sleeves of her new ruffled shirt were broad silver arm-spangles from her shoulder down to her wrist…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

…and wore on their wrists and arms silver bracelets, from on to four inches in width. (By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792)​

On their wrists the women wear silver bracelets when they can procure them; they also wear silver ear-rings; the latter are in general of a very small size; but it is not merely one pair which they wear, but several. (By Isaac Weld, Jun. 1795 -1797)

The women wear earrings of wampum, coral or silver. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

Her nose and ears were finely ornamented and her hair platted and turned up behind. (By Robert Hunter, Jr 1785-1786)

…many of whom wear little silver crucifixes, affixed to a wampum collar round their necks… (By William Bartram 1791)

Leggings-
Red or blue leggings are worn, made of fine clothe joined by a broad band of silk bordered with coral. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

…but their buskins reach to the middle of the leg.  (By William Bartram 1791)

…kind of gaiter, made of flannel clothe fringed with red, white or blue. This gaiter is sewed up following the shape of the leg, with four fingers breadth of stuff outside of the seam. This strip is bordered with ribbons of different colors, mingled with designs in glass beads. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755-1760)

Her scarlet leggings were decorated with different coloured ribands sewed on, the outer edges being finished off with small beads also of various colours. (By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

The leg is furnished with cloth boots; they reach from the ancle to the calf, and are ornamented with lace, beads, silver bells, &c. (By William Bartram 1791)

…a pair of leggins, or Indian stockings, of the same cloth, sewed so as to fit the leg, leaving a border of two inches protecting from the outside and extending to the instep, and a pair of plain moccasins. (By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792)

They have stockings laced up the outside of the leg… (By Patrick M’Robert 1774 & 1775)

Match Coat-
Wool cloth over shoulder, skins wrapped around the legs. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)

Both men and women wear a blanket on their shoulders, wither of wool which they buy of Europeans, or of clothe or prepared skins. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

…a large mantle or match-coat thrown over all compleats their dress at home. (By Lieut. Henry Timberlake 1756 -1765)

…they wore, besides, what is called a match-coat. (By Charles Johnston 1790)

…they throw over their shoulders, occasionally, a blanket or piece of broad cloth, but generally the latter…(By Isaac Weld, Jun. 1795 -1797)

…in cold weather they throw a short mantle round the shoulders. (By Duke De La Rouchefoucault Liancourt 1795, 1796 and 1797)

Moccasins-
Their shoes are a kind of slipper made of stag or deer-skin, tanne like goat skin and very soft. On the top of the foot it is laced and covered with fringe, and at the ancle it is two fingers wide, and also bordered with porcupine quills dyed of different colors, and furnished with little pendants of copper having tufts of colored hair, and with little bells, which tinkle as they walk.  (By Pierre Pouchot 1755-1760)

These shoes, which the savages call “mockassins,” are gathered at the toe and are sewn above and behind with a raised flap on either side. This is turned down over the cord below the ankle which ties on the shoes, Often these folded edges, as well as the front and back of the shoes, are decorated with ribbon or dyed porcupine quills of various colors, with red predominating. Sometimes, they add some glass beads and tiny copper bells, which are either round or long and trumpet shaped. (By J.C.B. 1751-1761)

Their shoes are made of skin of the deer, elk, or buffalo…the edges round the ancle are decorated with pieces of brass or tin fixed around leather strings, about an inch long, which being placed very thick make a cheerful tinkling noise either when they walk or dance. (By J. Carver, Esq. 1767 and 1768)

Her mocksens were ornamented with the most striking figures, wrought on the leather with coloured porcupine quills, on the borders of which, round the ankles, were fastened a number of small round silver bells, of about the size of a musket ball. (By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

And the stillepica of moccasin defends and adorns the feet; they seem to be an imitation of the ancient buskin or sandal; these are very ingeniously made of deer skins, dressed very soft, and curiously ornamented according to fancy. (By William Bartram 1791)

…having the tops of their moccasons curiously wrought with beads, ribands, and porcupine quills. (By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792) 

The moccasin…is formed of a single piece of leather, with a seam from the toe to the instep, and another behind, similar to that in a common shoe; by means of a thong it is fastened round the instep, part where the foot is put in, a flap of the depth of an inch or two left, which hangs loosely down over the string…this flap, as also the seam, are tastefully ornamented with porcupine quills and beads…and with ribbands if for women. (By Isaac Weld, Jun. 1795, 1796 and 1797)

…shoes made of deer, mouse, or sea-cow skin, all of one piece, and laced above the foot with thongs of leather. (By Patrick M’Robert 1174 & 1775)

Nose Rings-
“…some of both sexes using Bobs and Trinkets in their Ears and noses, Bracelets on their arms and Rings on their Fingers.” — (A Tour of Four Great Rivers. The Hudson, Mohawk, Susquehanna, and Delaware in 1769. By Richard Smith)

“The savages had a very pretty squaw with them, with nothing on but a shift that came halfway down her thighs. Her nose and ears were finely ornamented and her hair platted and turned up behind.” — (Quebec to Carolina in 1785-1786. Being the Travel Diary and Observations of Robert Hunter, Jr., a Young Merchant of London. Edited by Louis B. Wright and Marion Tinling.)

Her nose and ears were finely ornamented and her hair platted and turned up behind. (By Robert Hunter, Jr 1785-1786)

…and I have frequently seen a bead to the bridge of their noses… (By Charles Beatty)

…the Women who generously give…nose-Jewels & Pins (By Joseph Bloomfield, 1776)

Many of the latter were fantastically dressed in their est attire…rings in their noses  (By Elkanah Watson 1788)

…and adorning one’s nostrils, lips, etc. with pieces of silver or with whatever decoration… (By Paola Andreani 1790)

Sashes/Belts-​
They tie it around their waist with a ciencture or girdle of variegated colors and with beads of different hue. (By Douglas S. Robertson June 29, 1785)

The girdles worn by the common Indians, are made of leather or the inner bark of a tree. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

…the women a kind of garment which descends below the knees, and is fastened round the waist by a girdle. (By Thomas Ashe 1806)

The Indian nations are agreed in the custom of thus adorning themselves with beads of various sizes and colours; sometimes wrought in garters, sashes, necklaces, and in strings round their wrist… (By James Adair 1735 to 1744)

…the women, likewise, make very pretty belts… (By Henry Timberlake 1756-1765)

Some of them had girdles of the skins of rattlesnakes, with the rattles on them… (By Peter Kalm 1750 and 1751)

The dress of the Indians…They tie round their waist with a cienture or girdle of veriegated colors… (By Joseph Hadfield 1785)

…wrapped around her waist and confined with a girdle, and extending a little below the knee. (By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792)

Shells-
…others have a large shell on the breast, of a fine white color, which they value highly. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)
Round their neck they have a string of violet wampum, with some white made of the shells which the English call clams. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)

They are very curious in making many conceits from shells, feathers, the bark of trees. (By Patrick M’Robert 1774 & 1775)

​Those who can afford it wear a collar of wampum, which are beads cut out of clamshells… (By Lieut. Henry Timberlake 1756 -1765)

I observed that sea shells were much worn by those of the interior parts, and reckoned very ornamental; but how they procured them I could not learn; probably by their traffick with other nations nearer the sea. (By J. Carver, Esq. 1766, 1767 and 1768)

Their wampum, or pearls, and their money, which is made of shells, are tied round the neck and hang down on the breast. (By Peter Kalm 1750 and 1751)

Their adornment consists in hanging much wampum, coral and silver about their necks and it is not unusual for them to have great belts of wampum depending from the neck. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)​

Round their necks they have a broad necklace of wampum of shells turned into small cylindrical forms… (By Joseph Hadfield 1785)
…and those who can afford it, wear a collar of wampum. (By John Filson 1784)

People wore gorgets carved out of stone and the upper part of conch shells. They wore necklaces of shells from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.   (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 23)

They wore bracelets on their wrist made from copper or shells… (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 25)

Necklaces were made from columnella shell from the inside of conchs, from olivella shells, marginella shells, bone, and small worked shell beads, and from (more rarely) freshwater pearls.  (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 25)

Ten thousand years ago, Cherokees traded for…marine shells from the Gulf of Mexico, and plants, and shells from the Atlantic Ocean.  (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 31-32)

Silver Hairplates/Silver Ornaments-
Some have this ornament above with a plate of silver two or three fingers in breadth wide and below by little triangles, also of silver. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)

I remarked that most of the females, who dwell on the east side of the Mississippi, decorate their heads by inclosing their hair either in ribands, or in plates of silver; the latter is only made use of by the higher ranks, as it is costly ornament. The silver they use on this occasion is formed into thin plates of about four inches broad, in several of which they confine their hair. That plate which is nearest the head is of a considerable width; the next narrower, and made so as to pass a little way under the other, and in this manner they fasten into each other, and, gradually tapering, descend to the waist… (By J. Carver, Esq. 1766, 1767 and 1768)

…wear their hair long, curled down the back in silver plates… (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

…and the later also arrange silver clasps in their hair or wear a band about the head with as many silver ornaments on it as it will hold. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

Her long plaited hair was confined by broad bands of silver, one band joining the other, yet not of the same size, but tapering from the head down-wards and running at the lower end to a point. (By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

​She was richly dressed in the native costume of her people, wearing on her head a band of silver…(By Unknown recorded in 1790s in Michigan)

Strap Dresses-
The women wear a covering of some kind or other from the neck to the knees…the flaps of which hang over the petticoat…which covers the body but not the arms.  (By J. Carver, Esq 1766, 1767 and 1768)

The same garment covers the shoulders and the bosom and is fastened by a strap which passes over the shoulder; it is confined about the waist by a girdle. The arms, to the shoulders, are left naked, or are provided with sleeves, which are sometimes put on, and sometimes suffered to hang vacant from the shoulders. (By Alexander Henry, Esq 1760 and 1776)

Tattoos-
Indian women have themselves tattooed everywhere on their bodies without serious consequences. I have seen several of them with designs on such delicate and sensitive parts of the body as their breasts. (By Jean-Bernard Bossu 1751 – 1762)

​…and in addition (the women) tatoo two lines, reaching from the lip to the chin, or from the corners of the mouth to the ears. (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760-1776)

…although they retained their hairstyles, painting, and tattooing.  (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 23)

Both the Cherokee men and women had tattoos as did most of the southeastern tribes.  (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 40)

…but even then they kept their native hairstyles and tattoos.  (By: Cherokee Clothing of the 1700s, Barbara R. Duncan, pg. 57)

Turban-
The belle of the room was Cherokee Katy…dressed in Spanish style, with a turban on her head, and decked off very handsomely. (By Maj. Samuel S. Forman 1789-90)

Trade Shirt/Jackets-
…of 3/4 Garlix for two shifts (womens underclothing) for his Wife;…(Amherst Papers, 1756-1763. By Edith Mays)

Most women of rank wear a fine white linen shift with a red collar, reaching from their necks, nearly to the knees. Others wear shifts of printed linen or cotton of various colors, decorated at the breast with a great number of silver buckles… (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

…a shirt of the English make… (By Lieut. Henry Timberlake 1756 -1765)

…white linen or calico shirts which come a little below their hips without buttons at the neck or wrist and in general ruffled and a great number of small brooches stuck in it. (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

…wear the same sort of shirts as the men and a sort of short petticoat that comes no lower than the knee… (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)

…women’s waists and jackets which I had never before seen natives wearing. (By Peter Kalm 1750 and 1751)

It is also customary for them to sew red, yellow or black ribbon on their coats from top to bottom, being very fond of bright things. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

Their shirts and strowds they adorn with many silver buckles. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

Many women a white shirt over the strowd…(By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

In place of the white shirts, blue linen or cotton may be worn. When they wear a white shirt, which is preferably of fine linen, it is often dyed red with cinnabar about the neck. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

Both men and women dressed in calico shirts. Those of the women were adorned with a profusion of silver broaches, stuck in the sleeves and bossoms… (By Charles Johnston 1790)

…they have…but a little short waistcoat, usually made of callico, printed linen, or fine clothe, decorated with lace, beads, & c. (By William Bartram 1791)

…consisting of a calico shirt, extending about six inches below the waist, and fastened at the bosom with a silver brooch…(By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792)

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Wrap Skirt/Skirts-
The women have some of them a short petticoat reaching the knee; few of them have any shirts… (By Patrick M’Robert 1774 & 1775)

Many Cherokee women came here today, clad very decently in half-linen or cotton skirts. (By Samuel Cole Williams 1799)

…the women, is a petticoat, made of a piece of cloth about two yards long, fastened tight about the hips, and hanging down a little below the knees. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)

They wear a skirt of deerskin or cloth instead of a loincloth. This goes around the body, and is folded double over a belt or cord around the hips.

This skirt reaches only to the knees and often has ribbons for decoration or ornament around the bottom, as well as porcupine quills and little bells.  (By J.C.B., French Soldier between 1751 – 1761)

They have a short blue petticoat which reaches to their knees, the edge of which is bordered with red or other-colored ribbons. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751)

Girls of an early age wear their dresses shorter than those more advanced. (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760-1776)

The dress which particularly distinguishes the women is a petticoat or strowd, blue, red or black, made of a piece of cloth about two yards long, adorned with red, blue, or yellow bands laid double and bound about the body. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)

…petticoats for the women, made of cloth, generally red, blue, or black. (By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)

…a stroud or petticoat, simply a yard and a half of six quarter blue clothe with white selvidge, wrapped around her waist and confined with a girdle, and extending a little below the knee…(By Rev. O. M. Spencer 1792)

…they wear a piece of cloth folded closely round their middle, which reaches from the waist to the knees. Dark blue or green cloths in general are preferred to those of any other colour…(By Isaac Weld, Jun. 1795 -1797)

​Their petticoats are made either of leather or cloth, and reach from the waist to the knee. (By J. Carver, Esq. 1767 and 1768)

…appreciated well-made linen for its body and durability. (Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 13)

…used linen, particularly in the summer, but they mainly used red or blue stroud cloth. (Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 45)

Hernando de Soto recorded…the women were clothed…of homespun linen. (Swanton 1946, 451)

Resources:

Their Bearing is Noble and Proud Vol 1 and Vol 2,By: James F. O’Neil II. For book ordering information contact him at 898 Thorndale Drive, Centerville. OH 45429

Trade Ornament Usage Among The Native Peoples of Canada, By: Karlis Karklin. Covers what Eastern Woodland Natives wore during the 15th – 19th Centuries.

Early Native Americans in West Virginia: The Fort Ancient Culture, By:Darla Spencer. Covers women wearing gorgets.

Gorgets Offer Insight into Early Chickasaw Culture, By: KC Cole, NativeNewsOnline.net

Cherokee Clothing in the 1700s, By: Barbara R. Duncan, Covers Cherokee clothing before, during the 1700s and after.

More Resources:
Lenape Feather Mantles or Capes
Woodland Indians
Cherokee and Colonial Culture
The Memoirs of Lieut. Henry Timberlake (1765)
James Adair – History of the Indians 
Feather Capes, Cloaks, Mantels and Blankets of the Eastern Woodlands