Native Americans, 1600-1830 A Timeline of Events

Negative Factors on Native American Population: Guns Disease: smallpox, chicken pox, measles Starvation Enslavement Government Policies: war, genocide, removal

First Americans’ View of Their Environment (read TCI 1.4, p.6) How did Native Americans believe they were connected to plants, animals, and other natural objects? Why did they believe this? If each object in nature has its own spirit, what is each person’s responsibility to these spirits? Do Native Americans believe people can own land as private property? Do Native Americans believe in damaging the environment?

Virginia Colony (1607) and the Puritans (1620) formed agreements and treaties with Native Americans relied on the Native Americans’ knowledge of the land Puritans: Massasoit and Squanto Jamestown: Chief Powhatan and Pocahontas both sides were interested in peaceful co-existence Puritans: let’s work together and help each other Jamestown: stay out of our way and we’ll stay out of yours

French & Indian War (1753-1763) Native Americans had divided allegiance supported both the French & British British defeated the French and left the Ohio Valley Native Americans had no more allies against the Americans British/U.S. took control of lands that weren’t really theirs, made decisions about what to do with that land

American Revolution (1776-1783) Native Americans were divided over who to support Most opposed the colonists settlers were constantly moving in on native land 13,000+ aided the British, including the Iroquois those who fought with the British did so to protect their own interests, not to support the British empire

Treaty of Greenville (1795) Signed by leaders from 12 tribes Chippewa, Delaware, Eel-River, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Miami, Ottawa, Piankashaw, Potawatomi, Wea, Wyandot Established “Greenville Treaty Line” boundary between native territory and land for white settlers from Ohio to Kentucky settlers ignored the line and moved where they wanted anyway…just like the Proclamation Line of 1763!! Native Americans gave up land in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan to U.S.

Native American Land (north of line) Settlers’ Land (south of line)

Battle of Tippecanoe Creek (1811) settlers pushed Shawnee out of their tribal lands in Ohio/Mississippi Valleys Chief Tecumseh & Prophet tried to unite with other Native Americans along the Mississippi River Used British guns to fight the Indiana militia led by Governor William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe Creek led to declaration of war against Britain

War of 1812 British tried to keep U.S. out of Canada, fought alongside Native Americans to attack the Americans Native Americans believed U.S. took lands that it didn’t have a claim to Tecumseh killed while fighting for the British in Canada against Americans Native Americans helped Gen. Andrew Jackson win the Battle of New Orleans

War of 1812 Results of War of 1812 (Treaty of Ghent) Weakened Native American resistance primary leader was dead—Tecumseh British wouldn’t help them now that war with the U.S. was over completely forced them out of the Ohio Valley American promised to stop attacking Native Americans and to give back their property and possessions

1st Seminole War (1817-1818) more conflicts between Georgia settlers and Seminoles over land and trade Seminoles raided settlements on the Florida/Georgia border Escaped slaves were protected by Seminoles General Andrew Jackson invaded Florida resulted in conflicts with Spain, and later in the Florida Cession via the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819 U.S. gov’t continued its attempts to remove the Seminoles during the 1830s

Bureau of Indian Affairs (1824) created as part of the Department of War later became part of the Department of the Interior

Inauguration of Andrew Jackson (1829)

Jackson’s Indian Policy (read TCI 14.7, p.192) How had the U.S. government attempted to keep peace between settlers and Native Americans following the American Revolution? How were Native Americans compensated for their land? When Jackson was elected, how many Native Americans still lived east of the Mississippi? Which tribes made up the “five civilized tribes”? What made them “civilized”? What impact did the expansion of the “cotton kingdom” have on Native American lands?

Indian Removal Act (1830) Passed by Congress, allowed federal gov’t to pay Native Americans if they moved west DID NOT say that the Native Americans should be forcibly removed Pres. Jackson sent various gov’t officials to negotiate treaties with tribes in the southeast U.S. for them to leave Congress created the “Indian Territory” in 1834 to be set aside for transplanted Native Americans “Indian Territory” located in present-day Oklahoma Cherokee Nation refused to give up their land and leave

Worcester v. Georgia (1831) Since the 1790s, the federal gov’t had recognized Cherokee Nation and other native tribes as sovereign nations with their own laws Worcester Georgia Samuel Worcester was a missionary working with the Cherokee Arrested for “failure to have a license”—Georgia required non-Native Americans to have licenses to live on Cherokee lands Arrested for resisting the Georgia militia’s order to leave Claimed Georgia had no authority in native territory because the Cherokee were recognized as a separate nation   Georgia refused to acknowledge the Cherokee Nation’s sovereignty

Worcester v. Georgia (1831) Supreme Court Ruling: Georgia had no rights on Cherokee land Native Americans were protected by the Constitution and their treaties with the federal government Chief Justice John Marshall Problem: Jackson disagreed with the court, ignored the ruling “John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.”

Cherokee v. Georgia (1832) Supreme Court Ruling: Cherokee adopted a written constitution declaring themselves to be a sovereign nation (1827) 1784 Treaty with the Six Nations acknowledged sovereignty of the tribes   State of Georgia did not recognize their independent status The Cherokee were just tenants on Georgia land Gold was found on Cherokee land, giving Georgia further motivation to get the Cherokee out (1829)  Supreme Court Ruling: AGAIN, the Supreme Court ruled that the state had no rights on Cherokee land   Problem: AGAIN, President Jackson disagreed with the court, so he ignored the ruling

2nd Seminole War (1835-1842) Seminoles continued to resist relocation, led by Osceola Effectively used guerilla tactics for over two years Four military leaders failed in their attempts to force the Seminoles out Major Dade; Generals Gaines, Clinch, and Winfield Scott Major General Jesup brought in to turn things around for the U.S. Waged a campaign designed to wear down the tribe Col. Zachary Taylor defeated Seminoles at Lake Okeechobee

2nd Seminole War (1835-1842) Then Col. Worth is called in to wage search-and-destroy missions many Seminoles surrendered rather than face starvation most expensive war with Native Americans, longest war in U.S. history before Vietnam—estimated at $40-60 million— ten times more than what the gov’t had allotted for the whole removal! Seminoles gave up over 100 million acres of land

Treaty of New Echota (1836) U.S. agreed to give the Cherokee new land in Oklahoma and pay them $5 million to relocate in exchange for all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi not signed by an official Cherokee Council representative, so the Cherokee Nation elders declared it invalid asked Congress to not approve the treaty, but it passed by 1 vote Results in the Trail of Tears (1838)

Trail of Tears (1836-1838) U.S. agreed to give the Cherokee new land in Oklahoma and pay them General Winfield Scott forced 20,000 Cherokees to leave their land and walk 1,200 miles to their new “home” in the Oklahoma Territory 4,000-8,000 Cherokees died between 1836 and 1838 23-47% of relocated Cherokee died very controversial decision—not all Americans supported the removal