Indian removals in Ohio facts for kids

Indian removals in Ohio were a series of events where Native American tribes were forced to leave their lands. This happened after the American Revolutionary War in the late 1700s. As more European-American settlers wanted to move into the area, Native American tribes tried to protect their homes. This led to a big conflict called the Northwest Indian War.

After the war, the American government took large parts of Native American land. They created special areas called Indian reservations for some tribes. By about 1818, the United States had taken control of most Native American lands in Ohio. This process continued in Indiana until 1840.

Ohio's Native American History

Before the American Revolutionary War, different Native American tribes lived in the Ohio area. The Shawnee lived in the southwest. The Miami were in the far west. The Wyandot lived in the northeast. The Senecas were in the far northeast, and the Ottawas were in the north.

Setting Up Boundaries

In 1763, a rule called the Royal Proclamation of 1763 said that lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, including Ohio, were for Native Americans. European settlers were not allowed to live there.

Later, the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768 set the Ohio River as a boundary. It separated Native American lands from settler lands. In 1785, the Treaty of Fort McIntosh created the first Native American reservation west of the Appalachians. This area was in central northern and northwestern Ohio.

However, neither Native Americans nor settlers fully respected these boundaries. This led to the Northwest Indian War. The Treaty of Fort Harmar in 1789 tried to fix things, but it didn't work. The United States Army then fought to gain control. This ended with a big American victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.

The Start of Land Changes

After the war, the United States set new rules for peace. The Treaty of Greenville in 1795 replaced all older treaties. This new treaty gave about two-thirds of the future state of Ohio to settlers. Only the northwestern part of Ohio was left for Native Americans.

Over time, Native American lands in Ohio became even smaller. The Treaty of Fort Industry in 1805 moved the eastern boundary of Native American lands further west.

More treaties followed, reducing the land even more:

• Treaty of Detroit in 1807
• Treaty of Brownstown in 1808
• Treaty of Greenville in 1814
• Treaty of Fort Meigs in 1817

Ohio Land Fully Acquired

By the fall of 1818, six treaties were signed as part of the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818). One of these, the Treaty with the Miami, gave the last piece of Ohio land to the United States. This completed the process of the U.S. acquiring all of Ohio.

At the same time, the other five treaties continued the process of acquiring land and removing Native Americans in Indiana. This added nearly one-third of Indiana's land to the United States.

Forced Removals

After 1818, treaties involved buying or taking over reservations. Native Americans were then moved to "Indian Territory" outside of Ohio.

The last Native Americans in Ohio were moved in 1843. This happened through the Treaty with the Wyandots (1842). The Wyandots gave up their reservation at Upper Sandusky. They were then moved to Oklahoma in 1843.

Today, there are no Native American reservations in Ohio. Also, there are no federally recognized Native American tribes in Ohio.