Alexander McKee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander McKee
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| Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs | |
| In office December 26, 1794 – January 15, 1799 |
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| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | William Claus |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1735 Western Pennsylvania, British America |
| Died | 15 January 1799 Thames River (Ontario), Upper Canada |
| Children | Thomas McKee Jr. (son) |
| Parents | Thomas McKee Sr. Nonhelema |
| Nicknames | The White Elk, the White Moose |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Great Britain |
| Branch/service | British Indian Department |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | French and Indian War, American Revolutionary War, Northwest Indian War |
Alexander McKee (born around 1735 – died January 15, 1799) was an important officer in the British Indian Department. This department worked with Native American tribes. McKee played a key role during several big wars, including the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, and the Northwest Indian War. By 1794, he became the Deputy Superintendent General, which was the second-highest job in the department.
Biography
Early Life and Family
Alexander McKee was born around 1735. His father, Thomas McKee Sr., was an Irish fur trader and an agent who worked with Native Americans. His mother, Nonhelema, was a respected leader of the Shawnee tribe and the sister of Chief Cornstalk. Because of his family, Alexander McKee grew up with strong connections to the Ohio Native American tribes.
When he was young, McKee started working with traders who did business with the Native Americans in the Ohio Country. Soon, he had his own successful trading business. Because he had good relationships with the Ohio tribes, another Indian agent named George Croghan asked McKee to join the British Indian Department.
Around 1764, McKee settled in what is now McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. He built a large house there. George Washington even visited him in 1770 and wrote about it in his diary. McKee continued to work for Pennsylvania even after the American Revolutionary War began.
Around 1768 or 1769, McKee married a woman in a Shawnee village. Her name is not known for sure. She might have been a Shawnee woman or a white captive named Charlotte Brown who had been raised by the Shawnees. They had a son named Thomas McKee.
Working with the British
After facing some difficulties with the new American settlers, Alexander McKee decided to support the British instead of the Americans. He moved to Detroit, which was a British stronghold. During this time, he became well-known for working closely with Matthew Elliott and the Girty brothers: Simon, James, and George.
For the next 25 years, Alexander McKee worked hard to build strong alliances between the Native American tribes and the British. He especially worked with the Shawnee, but also with most of the tribes in the Northwest. He was known for looking out for the interests of the Native Americans and was considered an honest friend to them. The American government, called the Continental Congress, saw him as disloyal because he stayed loyal to the British and helped organize tribes to fight alongside the British.
Legacy
Alexander McKee died in Canada in 1799. The Northwest tribes were very sad about his death and honored him greatly. His son, Thomas McKee, later became a soldier and political figure in Canada.
The town of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, is located on the land Alexander McKee was given in 1764. This land grant was about 1,200 acres. McKee's home on this land was called Fairview. George Washington had dinner at Fairview in 1770 and wrote about the eight-room log mansion in his journal. Sadly, the home was torn down in 1902 by a railroad company.
