When the English colonists led by William Sayle in the aptly named Carolina landed on the banks of the Ashley River in April 1670, they set in motion a complex interaction of English and Spanish interests that would greatly influence the development of the south-east for the next fifty years. However, while this rivalry had its roots in Europe, the English struggle to establish their presence in the area and the Spanish effort to prevent their loss of influence oftentimes played out in such a way as to make European geopolitical concerns secondary.

Of greater interest to both sides at the local level was the critical interplay between English and Spanish with the Indian populations that occupied the areas between St Augustine and the fledgling colony at Charleston. In Spanish Florida, the Indians of the Franciscan mission settlements had always been the key to Spanish influence. To Carolinians, the lessons of Indian power were quickly learned and, at every turn, traders and diplomats fanned out across the areas around Charleston seeking to establish contacts and alliances of their own. It was soon clear to the inhabitants of both colonies that winning the loyalties of the numerous Indian tribes was the key to expanding each side's influence in the region.

In the contest for indigenous support, or at least cooperation, the Spanish had a significant head start.