George C. Sibley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Champlin Sibley
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Painting of George Sibley by Chester Harding c1830s
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| Personal details | |
| Born | April 1, 1782 Great Barrington, Massachusetts |
| Died | January 31, 1863 (aged 80) St. Charles, Missouri |
| Spouse | Mary Easton Sibley |
| Parents | John and Elizabeth Sibley |
| Occupation | explorer, soldier, indian agent, politician, and educator |
George Champlin Sibley (born April 1, 1782 – died January 31, 1863) was an important American explorer, soldier, and Indian agent. He also worked as a politician and educator. Sibley played a key role in early American history, especially in the western parts of the country. He helped explore new lands, worked with Native American tribes, and even helped start a famous school.
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George Sibley's Early Life
George Sibley was born on April 1, 1782, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. His parents were John and Elizabeth Sibley. Because his father traveled a lot, George spent his early childhood living with his grandfather, Samuel Hopkins, in Rhode Island. Samuel Hopkins was a Puritan minister.
Later, George moved with his mother to Fayetteville, North Carolina. There, he went to school and learned how to be a bookkeeper. This meant he learned how to keep track of money and business records.
Working at Fort Bellefontaine
In 1805, George Sibley's father became an Indian agent for the U.S. government. This happened because he knew President Thomas Jefferson. George used his father's connection to get a job too. He became an assistant at Fort Bellefontaine. This fort was located near St. Louis, Missouri, where the Missouri River meets the Mississippi River.
In 1807, George had problems with Rudolph Tillier, who was in charge of Fort Bellefontaine. George questioned Tillier's way of keeping records. Their disagreements grew, and Tillier eventually fired George. To clear his name, George traveled all the way to Washington, D.C., to tell his side of the story.
Sibley's Time at Fort Osage
George Sibley was found innocent of any wrongdoing. This was because he had a good reputation with friends like William Clark (from the Lewis and Clark Expedition) and Frederick Bates, who was acting governor. Because of this, George was given a new job. In 1808, he became the person in charge at Fort Osage. This fort was in western Missouri, near what is now Kansas City, Missouri.
Building Relationships with Native Americans
At Fort Osage, Sibley quickly started to build good relationships with the nearby Osage tribes. In 1811, he led an expedition, which was a journey to explore. This journey was called the George C. Sibley Expedition. Its goals were to improve relations with the Pawnee and Kansa tribes. He also wanted to find a rumored "salt mountain" that President Jefferson had heard about.
Sibley found the salt mountain in the Salt Plains of northwest Oklahoma. It wasn't a mountain of salt, but a large area with salt deposits. He wrote many journals about his travels, but they were never published.
Fort Osage During the War of 1812
When the War of 1812 started, Sibley briefly moved back to St. Louis. People worried that the British might convince local Native American tribes to attack Fort Osage. However, this didn't last long. The Osage tribes complained because they had to travel much farther to St. Louis to trade their goods. So, in 1813, Sibley opened a temporary trading post in Arrow Rock, Missouri, for the rest of the war.
While still at Fort Osage, George Sibley got married in 1815. He married Mary Easton, whose father was a well-known lawyer in St. Louis. George stayed at Fort Osage until 1822. That year, the United States government decided to stop its official system for trading with Native Americans. By this time, most Native American tribes had moved out of Missouri. After the trading post closed, George and Mary stayed at Fort Osage. George worked as the postmaster until the fort closed completely in 1825.
Surveying the Santa Fe Trail
Around this time, trade between the United States and the Mexican government in Santa Fe was growing a lot. Because of this, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton asked Congress to pay for a survey of the road to Santa Fe. Congress agreed, and George Sibley was put in charge of this important expedition.
Before this survey, travelers between Missouri and Santa Fe were sometimes attacked by Native American tribes. So, besides mapping the road, Sibley also needed to make agreements for safe travel along the route.
The Expedition Begins
Sibley, along with two other leaders, Benjamin Reeves and Thomas Mather, started their journey from Fort Osage in April 1825. The group met with leaders of the Kansa and Osage Nations. They met near a river and made an agreement for wagon trains and traders to pass safely. Sibley named this meeting place "Council Grove," which is now a town in Council Grove, Kansas.
The group then followed the Arkansas River. They built mounds of dirt along the way to help future travelers find their path. They waited for permission from Mexico to enter its territory. Once permission was given in September 1825, Sibley continued along the Arkansas River. Reeves and Mather went back to Missouri to report on their progress.
Sibley led his group further south, crossing the river and heading towards the Cimarron River. Eventually, they reached Taos. There, they got permission to map more of the route in New Mexico. However, the other leaders didn't arrive, so Sibley and his crew returned to Missouri in August 1826. They submitted their full report in 1827. By then, so many people had traveled to Santa Fe that a clear path was already well-worn.
The Lindenwood Years
After his work on the Santa Fe Trail, George and his wife Mary moved to St. Charles, Missouri. George had owned land there since 1814. In 1829, the Sibleys lived in town while George cleared their property and built a home.
During this time, Mary Sibley, who had taught children at Fort Osage, began teaching her sister and a few local children at their home. This small teaching effort grew into The Lindenwood School for Girls. Today, it is known as Lindenwood University. By December 1829, George had built a log cabin on their land. Over the years, they made the cabin bigger as more students joined the boarding school. Eventually, over 20 young women were being taught by Mary.
George Sibley's Role at Lindenwood
George had a smaller role with the school compared to Mary. Mary was the school's only headmaster and teacher. George helped Mary by maintaining the property and adding to the cabin. He also handled the school's advertising and most of their letters.
George remained active in public life. In 1833, he ran for U.S. Congress, but he decided to drop out of the race at the last minute. Between 1839 and 1840, Sibley was the president of the Missouri Internal Improvements Board. He also served as a railroad commissioner. In 1844, he ran for a seat in the Missouri Senate, but he did not win.
George was also very involved with his church, the Old School Presbyterian church. Through this, he became good friends with Elijah Lovejoy. Lovejoy was against slavery and often visited St. Charles. In 1837, Lovejoy had angered some slave owners with his stories in a newspaper called the Alton Observer. One day, an angry group tried to harm Lovejoy. Lovejoy escaped to Linden Wood, where Sibley gave him a horse so he could get away into Illinois.
Retirement and Legacy
After building Lindenwood College's reputation as a leading school for women, the Sibleys decided to retire from education. In 1853, they gave Lindenwood to the Presbyterian Church. By this time, George Sibley was not in good health. He lived a quiet life until he passed away on January 31, 1863. George and Mary Sibley are buried on the campus of Lindenwood University.
George C. Sibley is remembered in the name of Sibley, Missouri, a town that carries his name.
