Blue Jacket facts for kids

Blue Jacket (born around 1743, died around 1810), also known as Weyapiersenwah, was a very important war chief of the Shawnee people. He is famous for bravely defending the Shawnee lands in a region called the Ohio Country. Blue Jacket was a top Native American leader during the Northwest Indian War. In this war, many different tribes worked together to fight against the new United States. He was also a key leader before the well-known Shawnee chief Tecumseh.

Who Was Blue Jacket?

We don't know much about Blue Jacket's early life. He first appears in historical records in 1773. By then, he was already an adult and a respected war chief. In that year, a British missionary visited the Shawnee villages. The missionary wrote about Blue Jacket's Town, which was located on Deer Creek in what is now Ross County, Ohio.

Fighting for Native Lands

Blue Jacket took part in several important conflicts. He fought in Lord Dunmore's War and the American Revolutionary War. During the Revolutionary War, the Shawnee sided with the British. Blue Jacket always tried to protect the Shawnee's right to their land.

When the British lost the American Revolutionary War, the Shawnee lost a strong ally. White settlers then started moving into Ohio even faster. Blue Jacket became a leading figure in the resistance against these settlements. He was involved in the 1790 Harmar campaign. He might have helped plan the defense during that time.

The Battle of the Wabash

On November 3, 1791, a large army of Native American tribes faced an American army. This Native American army was led by Blue Jacket and Miami Chief Little Turtle. They completely defeated the American expedition, which was led by Arthur St. Clair. This battle is known as the Battle of the Wabash or St. Clair's defeat.

This victory was the greatest achievement in Blue Jacket's military career. It was also the worst defeat ever suffered by the United States at the hands of Native Americans. Many stories give most of the credit to Little Turtle. However, some historians believe Little Turtle promoted himself more later on.

After the Victory

Blue Jacket's triumph did not last long. The American government was very worried after St. Clair's defeat. They created a new, well-trained army. This army was commanded by General Anthony Wayne.

On August 20, 1794, Blue Jacket's tribal army fought Wayne's forces. This battle was called the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It took place just south of where Toledo, Ohio is today. Blue Jacket's army was defeated in this battle.

Because of this loss, Blue Jacket had to sign the Treaty of Greenville on August 3, 1795. This treaty forced the Native Americans to give up a large part of what is now Ohio to the United States.

In 1805, Blue Jacket also signed the Treaty of Fort Industry. This treaty meant even more land in Ohio was given away. In his final years, Blue Jacket saw the rise of Tecumseh. Tecumseh would continue the fight to reclaim Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country.

The Van Swearingen Story

Decades after Blue Jacket died, a story came out in 1877. This story claimed that Blue Jacket was actually a white man. It said his name was Marmaduke Van Swearingen. The story claimed he was captured and adopted by the Shawnee in the 1770s. This was around the time of the American Revolutionary War.

This story became very popular through historical novels. These books were written by Allan W. Eckert in the late 1960s. An outdoor play based on this story, called Blue Jacket, White Shawnee War Chief, was performed in Xenia, Ohio. It ran from 1981 to 2007.

Historians Investigate

Starting with historian Helen Hornbeck Tanner in 1978, many historians have questioned this story. They believe Blue Jacket and Van Swearingen were probably not the same person. Historical records show that Blue Jacket was much older than Marmaduke Van Swearingen. Blue Jacket was already a respected chief when Van Swearingen was supposedly captured.

Also, no one who knew Blue Jacket personally ever wrote that he was a white man. According to John Sugden, who wrote a book about Blue Jacket, Blue Jacket was definitely born a Shawnee.

DNA Evidence

DNA testing has also helped to show that Blue Jacket was not Van Swearingen. After an early test in 2000, new DNA test results were published in 2006. Researchers tested DNA from four men who were descendants of Charles Swearingen, Marmaduke's brother. They also tested DNA from six men who were descendants of Blue Jacket's son, George Blue-Jacket.

The DNA from the two families did not match. The study concluded that the idea of "Blue Jacket with Caucasian roots" is not based on facts.