Final answer:
Dragging Canoe allied with the British in an effort to stop American settlers from encroaching on Cherokee lands during the American Revolutionary War period. This alliance was an element of the broader conflicts involving various tribes during that era, known as the Chickamauga Wars.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dragging Canoe, an influential Cherokee leader and son of Attakullakulla, allied with the British against American settlers during the period overlapping the American Revolutionary War. This alignment was part of a broader pattern in the South where the Creek, Chickasaw, and Choctaw also sided with the British, while the Catawba fought alongside American forces.
The younger Cherokee, including Dragging Canoe, saw an alliance with the British as a means to halt the encroachment on their lands. This conflict, driven by the goal of protecting Cherokee lands, extended into the Chickamauga Wars (1776-1794), a continuation of the struggle beyond the official end of the American Revolution.