Reports on the Southern Tribes and Likelihood of War
Document 1789The war between Georgia and the Creeks could spark a general Indian war across the frontier. Knox discusses the potential for aggression against the Indians by unruly whites to unify the Southern Tribes against the interests of the United States. He anticipates Spanish agitation in fomenting Indian hostility toward the United States. He gives his ideas regarding the civilization of the Indians as the best way of assimilating them into American society.
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The report of the 23d of May 1789 on the treaties at Fort Harmar, by the Governor of the Western Territory; and the paper Number one of the Indian Department, contain such a general statement of the circumstances relative to the Indian tribes within the limits of the United States, North West of the Ohio, as will probably render their situation sufficiently understood.
The Numbers two, three, and four comprehend a general view of the nations South of the Ohio.
But the critical situation of affairs between the State of Georgia and the Creek Nation requires a more particular consideration. In discussing this subject it will appear that the interests of all the indian nations south of the Ohio as far as the same may relate to the whites, are blended together, so as to render the circumstance highly probable, that in case of a War, they may make it one common cause.
Although each nation or tribe may have latent causes of hatred to each other on acco
Type
Contemporary Copy of Letter
Description
The war between Georgia and the Creeks could spark a general Indian war across the frontier. Knox discusses the potential for aggression against the Indians by unruly whites to unify the Southern Tribes against the interests of the United States. He anticipates Spanish agitation in fomenting Indian hostility toward the United States. He gives his ideas regarding the civilization of the Indians as the best way of assimilating them into American society.
Date
07/07/1789
Author
Recipient
Sent from
War Office
Repository
Collection
Document number
1789070700201
Note
Image of this document (transcripted) is located online at
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsp&fileName=007/llsp007.db&recNum=53
and
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsp&fileName=007/llsp007.db&recNum=54
Notable persons
George Washington
Henry Knox
Alexander McGillivray
Cherokees
Creek Nation of Indians
Choctaws
Chickasaws
settlers
Spanish
Six Nations
Indian Department
commissioners
missionary
nations south of the Ohio
lawless whites
Indian agents
Notable locations
War Office
North America
Mississippi
Hopewell
Great Britain
Spain
North Carolina
Georgia
the Ohio
Western Territory
Fort Harmar
frontier
boundary
hunting grounds
Notable items
treaties of Fort Harmar
treaty made at Hopewell
latent causes of hatred
disputes of boundaries and game
gorgets
clothing
supplies
provisions
hunting grounds
Indian relations
war
peace
land rights
expansion
alliance
coercion
negotiation
court martial
civilization of the Indians
presents to the chiefs or their wives