Native Americans in the Colonial Times

1620, Pilgrims settled in Plymouth Massachusetts and the first Thanksgiving took place.

In May 1635 the Pequot massacre occurred led by Captain John Mason.

In 1662 Metacom (King Philip) became leader and ultimately led his people into war to preserve their traditional way of life.

In 1675, King Philip’s War broke out in the town of Swansea.  Hostilities spread north and west, soon threatening much of New England. The war was devastating for Native Peoples. 

In North Carolina, the Hatteras tribe that numbered about three thousand was reduced to fifteen bowmen in the year 1700. Another tribe on the Chowan had entirely disappeared.

Seven Years War: in the 1750’s known as French and Indian War, Natives were allies to the French against the British as French wanted to expand into the Ohio River valley.

1777 “The Bloody Year” The Oneidas and the Tuscaroras of the Iroquois Confederacy sided with the Americans where as the Senecas, Mohawks, Cayugas, and Onondagas joined the British, urged on by Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant.

Revolutionary Era In 1784, the pro-British Iroquois

were forced to sign the Treaty of Fort Stanwix.

Society for propagating the Gospel Among Indians, founded in 1787.

In 1790 and 1791, Little Turtle, war chief of the Miami’s, defeated armies led by Generals Josiah Harmar and Arthur St. Clair.

In the 1790’s the Washington government recognized the tribes as separate nations and agreed to acquire land from them only through formal treaties.

1793 congress approved $20,000 to promote literacy/agriculture/vocational instruction.

In 1794, a new army under General “Mad Anthony” Wayne routed the Miami’s at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

of 1804 Meriwether Lewis and Clark led an expedition, to explore northern part of Louisiana Purchase, aided by Sacajawea.

Fall of 1811, William Henry Harrison governor of Indian Territory gathered an army against Tecumseh, Tecumseh was not there and the Prophet attacked foolishly, as a result the Shawnees were routed and their settlement was burned in the Battle of Tippecanoe

Cumberland Road 1811 from west Maryland to Illinois cut into Indian Territory.

Treaty of Ghent, 1814, forced Indians to give permission to give land away in treaties. (forest land north of Ohio River)

Early Republic- Antebellum 1808, the Cherokee National

Council made a writen code. This was made into a constitution in 1827. Provided an executive, judicial, and legislative branch.

In 1828 Georgia declared that this legislature is illegal. The Cherokees went to the supreme court, the court gave them the rights but Andrew Jackson refused the courts decision.

1830 was the start of the Indian Removal Act. Goal to move all tribes east of the Mississippi.

1836, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was established. Wanted to administer relations for the original inhabitants.

During 1835-1842, guerrilla war between the Seminoles/ slaves against whites in florida. 4/5ths of seminoles were moved to Oklahoma.

Civil War & Reconstruction Between 1861-1865, about

20,000 natives participated in battles.

“Black Beaver” guide and interpreter for Colonel William H. Emory.

In 1866 and 1867 Indians moved into the Cherokee nation as their land was sold in treaties.

July 1864- March 1965 was the Petersburg Campaign. Most Indians fought with the army of the Potomac. The Battle of the Crater involved many Iroquois(NY), Pequots(New England), and Catawabs(SC).

Aug. 10, 1861 was the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in Missouri. Where a Cherokee, Stand Watie, became a Brigadier General.

He also fought in the Battle of Sea Ridge in Arkansas. On march 1862.

The Chattanooga Campaign on Oct./ Nov. 1863 had a Seneca Indian, Ely S. Parker serve as chief engineer in the siege od Vicksburg.

Parker was present at the Appomattox Court House surrender in April 1865.

He helped draft the surrender papers.

Being appointed by Grant, Parker became the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1869.

Market Revolution Settlers were moving westward as they

believed god had destined them to do so.

The panic of 1837 convinced many people that they could start fresh out west.

Merchants followed the farmers west in order to build new markets.

In the 1830’s white settlers in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois placed pressure on the native Americans in the region.

Chief Black Hawk had a vision that led him to start a rebellion against the U.S. (The Black Hawk War had begun)

In 1832 the Black Hawk war ended when Illinois militia men slaughtered more than 200 Americans.

As settlers moved westward they were met with more Native american attacks.

The U.S. government responded by calling a conference, Native American tribes such as the Cheyenne, Arapho, Sioux, Crow and many more joined U.S. representatives to talk over a treaty.

The Fort Laramie Treaty provided Native americans with control of the central plains, and land east of the rocky mountains.

The U.S government had to make annual payments to the Natives as well.

Industrial Revolution & The Gilded Age

Most of the space that was promised to the Native americans was being taken away by the U.S. government.

Companies were building vast amounts of railroads and factories which in turn caused the Native Americans to be pushed out of their land.

Natural Resources were big during the Gilded Age, and the Americans were moving quickly to get all the gold and silver they could possibly find.

As they pushed further into Native American land the natives were pushed out of their land, into small reservations or were slaughtered by white settlers.

Warfare with the Great Plain Indians broke out during 1860’s and although they ended in the 1880’s, these wars did not entirely subdue until the slaughtering of the buffalo herds which were the basis of Indian life.

Progressive Era By the turn of the century

in 1900, most remaining native americans had been forced, tricked, or paid to leave their ancestral lands.

Some Native Americans chose to live on the few California reservations that were built by the U.S. government

Some Native Americans spent their lives hiding from both their families and the whites.