Cohee facts for kids

Cohee was a special name that some early European settlers in America used for themselves. These were mostly people from Germany, Ireland, and Scotland (often called Scotch-Irish). They settled in a beautiful area called the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

The Cohee wanted to show they were different from other English settlers, especially the wealthy farmers in eastern Virginia. These farmers were sometimes called Tuckahoes. The Cohee were actually the very first Europeans to make their homes in what are now Amherst County and Nelson County, Virginia.

The Meaning Behind the Name Cohee

The word "Cohee" comes from an old Scottish and Northern Irish phrase, quo he. This phrase is a shorter way of saying quoth, which means "said he." Over time, "Cohee" came to mean a "backwoods settler" – someone who lived in the wild, undeveloped areas, especially if they were from Scottish or Northern Irish families.

Where Cohee People Lived

The term "Cohee" mostly described people who lived west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This area is now part of West Virginia. However, the name also applied to German, Scottish, or Irish people who settled in Pennsylvania. It helped to identify a group of people who shared a similar background and way of life in the American frontier.