Congress passes the first Indian Trade and Intercourse Act.
Congress fears that greedy traders are threatening national security by antagonizing the Indians they do business with. To help maintain peace between Indians and traders, it passes the Trade and Intercourse Act, the first of a series of laws intended to regulate the fur trade. The act outlined means of licensing traders and sets out punishments for trading without a license and for committing crimes against Indians.
Spain grants England trading rights in the Pacific Northwest.
As the sea otter fur trade (see entry for 1778) became more profitable, a Spanish expedition set out for Nootka Sound near Vancouver Island in 1789 and seized three trading ships of their British rivals. The incident brought Spain and England close to war. To avoid more conflict, Spain agrees to the Nootka Convention, in which it gives England the right to trade along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. As a result, England and the United States will come to dominate trade with Northwest Indians and will become the main foreign competitors for control of the region.
Seneca chief Cornplanter meets with George Washington.
Cornplanter and several other Seneca leaders travel to Philadelphia to see President George Washington. During their meeting, Cornplanter complains of the dubious tactics used to obtain Seneca land cessions during the negotiation of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix (see entry for OCTOBER 22, 1784). He claims that negotiators acted “as if our want of strength had destroyed our rights” and asks rhetorically, “Were the terms dictated to us by your commissioners reasonable and just?” The encounter likely influenced Washington to urge future negotiators to deal with Indians honestly.
Creek leaders sign the Treaty of New York.
At the invitation of George Washington, a delegation of 26 Creek leaders led by Alexander McGillivray (see entry for JUNE 1, 1784) travels to New York, where they negotiate a treaty with the United States. In the agreement, the Creek representatives cede about 3 million acres of hunting territory and promise that the Creek and their Seminole relatives will turn over to federal officials any runaway slaves in their villages. In exchange, the United States guarantees to protect Creek land from invasion and gives the Creek the right to punish white trespassers as they see fit. During the meeting, McGillivray also persuades the American negotiators to make him a brigadier general in the U. S. Army and permit him to import goods without paying duties on them.
The Treaty of New York is the greatest triumph of McGillivray’s career as a diplomat. The federal government’s treaty promise to protect the Creek from white encroachment at least for the time being blocks Georgia’s efforts to take over Creek territory. It allows McGillivray to control Creek trade, which helps solidify his authority within the tribe. (See also entry for FEBRUARY 27, 1793.)
Little Turtle’s force defeats troops led by Josiah Harmar.
The Shawnee, Miami, Potawatomi, and Ojibway living north of the Ohio River continue to resist American settlement in their lands, which the United States has supposedly purchased by the terms of the Treaty of Fort Harmer (see entry for JANUARY 9, 1789). To force the Indians to abide by the treaty, President George Washington sends Brigadier General Josiah Harmar and 1,400 troops to the region.
When Harmar’s troops reach the Indians’ territory, they are lured into thick forests by fires, believing that the Indians have set their villages ablaze before fleeing. The fires, however, were purposely set by the Indians as a trick. In the forests, the warriors set upon the unsuspecting soldiers and surround them. Nearly 200 are killed before the Indians’ leader, the Miami war chief Little Turtle, allows the others to escape. Because of the defeat, Washington removes Harmar from his command and replaces him with General Arthur St. Clair (see entry for NOVEMBER 4, 1791). (See also entry for AUGUST 20, 1794.)
World History
