Oswegatchie people facts for kids
The Oswegatchie were a group of Iroquois families who settled near the Saint Lawrence River in the 1700s. They were part of the Seven Nations of Canada. They played a role in the conflicts between France and Britain, and later in the American Revolution.
The Oswegatchie People
Early Settlement
In 1749, a French missionary named Abbé Francois Picquet built a fort. This fort was located where the Oswegatchie River meets the Saint Lawrence River. Today, this spot is Ogdensburg, New York.
Picquet invited Iroquois families to the fort, called Fort de La Présentation. He wanted them to learn about Catholicism. To live at the fort, families had to agree to certain rules. They had to become Catholic and promise loyalty to France.
By 1751, many families had moved there. About 396 Haudenosaunee families settled in the area. Most were Onondaga, but some were Oneida and Cayuga. They lived between Toniato Creek (now Jones Creek) and the Long Sault. These people became known as the Oswegatchie.
Alliances and Wars
The Oswegatchie were considered "nephews" by the Iroquois Confederation. This was because of their family ties to the Six Nations. However, they were not allowed to be a separate member of the Confederation.
When the Seven Years' War started, the Oswegatchie joined the French. This war was fought between France and England. The Oswegatchie helped the French in many attacks. They raided British colonists in the Ohio, Champlain, and Mohawk valleys.
After the British won the war in 1760, they took over La Présentation. British soldiers were stationed there. They renamed the fort Fort Oswegatchie. The Oswegatchie who stayed at the fort then promised loyalty to the British. They fought with the British during the American Revolution. They attacked American rebel colonists in the Mohawk Valley.
Moving On
In 1784, the Oswegatchie gave up land on the north shore of the St. Lawrence to the British. They then moved and resettled in what is now Lisbon, New York.
The British stayed at the fort until 1796. They left after the border between Canada and the United States was decided. Pioneers from New England and lower New York began arriving in June 1796. They started settling the area.
By 1806, United States troops forced the Oswegatchie out of their settlement at Lisbon. Many families moved again. They resettled at St. Regis (Akwesasne) and other Native communities in Canada.
