What was the American English Coonhound first bred for?

Answer 1

It has been said that the history of the English Coonhound is the history of all coonhounds. With the exception of the Plott Hound, most coonhounds can be traced back to the English Foxhound. In 1905 the English Coonhound was first registered by UKC under the name of English fox & Coonhound. Back then they were used for fox hunting much more than they are today. The name reflected the similarity that the breed had to the American Foxhound and the English foxhound. While the Redbone and Black and Tan were given separate breed status, all other treeing coonhounds were called English after the turn of the century. These included both the Treeing Walker Coonhound and the Bluetick Coonhound. They were considered all the same breed. It was the variation in color which separated them. The heavily ticked dogs split off from the English and the Bluetick Coonhound was recognized as a separate breed in 1945. In 1946 the tricolored hounds separated into the breed called Treeing Walker Coonhounds. Though redticked dogs predominate, to this day there are still tri-colored and blueticked English hounds. The English Coonhound was bred to adapt to the rougher American climate and terrain. An English named "Bones," owned by Colonel Leon Robinson, won one of the first National Coonhound Championships. The breed is still used by practical hunters and competitive hound owners throughout the USA.