Following the Revolutionary War, one of the most pressing issues that the confederation government faced was the disposition of western lands. To resolve these issues, the U.S. government negotiated with a number of Indian tribes to gain clear title to western lands, but it backed these negotiations with the threat of force. The following documents offer very different views of these negotiations. The first selection is from the journal of General Richard Butler, who had fought against Indians in the region. In 1786, he was appointed to negotiate with the Shawnee tribe, a British ally during the Revolutionary War. In his exchange with an Indian representative, Butler mentions a “string,” which refers to a wampum belt. A black belt was a sign of war, and a white belt represented peace. The second selection comes from a speech given at a pan-Indian council meeting. The speech was addressed to the U.S. Congress and expressed the Indians’ united stance and their hopes for fair and open dealings with the United States.
| 7.1 | General Richard Butler | Fort Finney Treaty Negotiations, 1786 |
It rests now with you, the destruction of your women and children, or their future happiness, depends on your present choice. Peace or war is in your power; make your choice like men, and judge for yourselves. We shall only add this: had you judged as it is your interest to do, you would have considered us as your friends, and followed our counsel; but if you choose to follow the opinion which you have expressed, you are guided either by evil counsel or rashness, and are blinded. We plainly tell you that this country belongs to the United States—their blood hath defended it, and will forever protect it. Their proposals are liberal and just; and you instead of acting as you have done, and instead of persisting in your folly, should be thankful for the forgiveness and offers of kindness of the United States, instead of the sentiments which this string imparts, and the manner in which you have delivered it. . . .
. . . Kekewepellethe [the Indian representative] then arose and spoke as follows:
. . . Brethren, our people are sensible of the truths you have told them. You have every thing in your power—you are great, and we see you own all the country; we therefore hope, as you have every thing in your power, that you will take pity on our women and children.
Source: Neville B. Craig, ed., The Olden Time (Pittsburgh, 1848), 2:524.
| 7.2 | United Indian Nations Council | Message to Congress, 1786 |
To the Congress of the United States of America:
Brethren of the United States of America: It is now more than three years since peace was made between the King of Great Britain and you, but we, the Indians, were disappointed, finding ourselves not included in that peace, according to our expectations: for we thought that its conclusion would have promoted a friendship between the United States and Indians, and that we might enjoy that happiness that formerly subsisted between us and our elder brethren. . . . In the course of our councils, we imagined we hit upon an expedient that would promote a lasting peace between us.
Brothers: We are still of the same opinion as to the means which may tend to reconcile us to each other; and we are sorry to find, although we had the best thoughts in our minds, during the beforementioned period, mischief has, nevertheless, happened between you and us. We are still anxious of putting our plan of accommodation into execution, and we shall briefly inform you of the means that seem most probable to us of effecting a firm and lasting peace and reconciliation: the first step towards which should, in our opinion, be, that all treaties carried on with the United States, on our parts, should be with the general voice of the whole confederacy, and carried on in the most open manner, without any restraint on either side; and especially as landed matters are often the subject of our councils with you, a matter of the greatest importance and of general concern to us, in this case we hold it indispensably necessary that any cession of our lands should be made in the most public manner, and by the united voice of the confederacy; holding all partial treaties as void and of no effect.
Source: American State Papers, Class II: Indian Affairs (Washington, 1832), 1:8.
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