Indian Nations Quotes
Unlike lost other Indian Nations, the Iroquois had years before formed a formal federation whereby each of the six tribes governed their own local affairs, but they spoke and acted as one in governing trade matters, security and foreign policy. This was the main reason that they dominated the other Indian nation. Colonial history is replete with the Iroquois leaders recommending such a confederation to the whites—advice that was finally taken.
The British, with few troops in the West, armed Indians and paid for American scalps.
Indian treaties had legal problems from the beginning of the nation. An agreement had been made at Fort Harmar with 6 Indian nations. One man signed for the United States and several of the sachems, for the Indians. President Washington reported this to the Senate and there was much confusion as to how to proceed. Typically, agents for nations negotiated a treaty but it would not be binding until each ratified it. To the Indians this was not a familiar practice. In this case, the treaty was approved for ratification by the Senate, but what kind of ratification was to be required of the Indians? The Iroquois Indian tribes had formal, methods of reaching consensus, but other nations did not. Whites sometimes reneged on later treaties on the grounds that they were not ratified by the Indian nations. In others, the Indians themselves made the same claim and challenged the right of the Indian treaty signers to speak for the tribe or nation. The problem has never been resolved.
This is some history that few know about the American Revolution.
Jefferson had offered the command of the large expedition to General Clark, but instead was persuaded by him to send a smaller force headed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (no relation to the General.)
He was referring to the Chickasaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Choctaw Native American Tribes. Historically individual whites including families had little difficulty with most Native Americans so long as they were few. The hostilities against whites generally began when large numbers of whites began to settle on traditional Indian land or hunting grounds and contest the Native Americans for their own land. The entire conflict between Native Americans and whites was in essence a battle for land.
The Iroquois were generally recognized, even by the other tribes and nations, and the most advanced and most powerful of the Native Americans. Their example was critical in shaping the policies and behavior of all the Indians. At the time “Western” Indians referred to those in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and those West of the Eastern seaboard. West Coast and Plains Indians were not known generally known to the colonists and those nations had no knowledge of the Iroquois. Johnson himself married an Iroquois woman.
