Peter McQueen facts for kids

Peter McQueen (born around 1780 – died 1820) was an important leader of the Creek people. He was a chief, a spiritual guide (prophet), a trader, and a brave warrior. He came from a place called Talisi, which is now Tallassee, Alabama.

McQueen was part of a group of young Creek warriors known as the Red Sticks. These Red Sticks wanted to protect their traditional ways and lands from European American settlers. They hoped to bring back old Creek customs and encourage settlers to leave their territory. Many people in the Upper Creek towns joined the Red Sticks in the early 1800s.

The Red Sticks eventually got into a big conflict called the Creek War. This war started with disagreements between different Creek towns and then grew to include the United States. In 1814, the Red Sticks were defeated by Colonel Andrew Jackson and his forces at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Peter McQueen survived this battle and moved to Florida. There, he joined the Seminole people and continued to fight against United States forces during the First Seminole War.

Early Life and Family

Peter McQueen was born in the Talisi area, which is now Tallassee, Alabama. His mother was a high-ranking Creek woman, and his father was a Scottish fur trader. At that time, it was common for Native Americans and European Americans in the Southeast to form such families. Both cultures often saw these marriages as helpful partnerships. Traders brought useful goods and offered connections to European society.

The Creek culture was matrilineal. This means that a person's social status and family connections came from their mother's side. So, Peter McQueen was considered fully Creek and got his standing from his mother's family and clan. In Creek tradition, a boy's maternal uncles (his mother's brothers) were very important. They would teach him about men's roles and introduce him to the traditions of his clan and tribe.

Becoming a Red Stick Leader

Peter McQueen was influenced by the ideas of Shawnee leaders like the prophet Tenskwatawa and his brother, the chief Tecumseh. These leaders believed that Native Americans should unite to protect their lands and traditions. McQueen became one of several young Creek spiritual guides who dreamed of a future where European Americans would leave Native American lands.

These young leaders were upset that some older Creek chiefs, like Big Warrior, seemed to be adopting too many European American ways. They felt these leaders were not listening enough to their people's concerns. Peter McQueen joined the Red Sticks faction of the Upper Creek. This group strongly wanted to resist new ways and bring back traditional Creek culture and religion.

Conflicts and Battles

In the spring of 1813, disagreements grew between the Upper Creek towns (who were mostly Red Sticks) and the Lower Creek towns (who had adopted more European American customs). This led to violence. The Red Sticks began to attack farms belonging to their enemies, destroying crops and animals.

In July 1813, Peter McQueen led a group of Red Sticks to Spanish Florida to get weapons. On their way back to what is now Alabama, they were surprised by a group of local soldiers. The Red Sticks were scattered at first. But they quickly regrouped and defeated the soldiers who were trying to steal their supplies. This event became known as the Battle of Burnt Corn. After this, European American settlers in the area became very worried and started to gather in protected settlements.

The next month, in August 1813, McQueen was part of the attack on Fort Mims. This fort was a gathering place for mixed-race Creek families who owned large farms. The Red Sticks believed these families had moved too far away from core Creek values. The attack on the fort resulted in many deaths among the people inside, including nearly 500 Lower Creek and European American settlers.

Later, in 1814, Peter McQueen and many other Red Stick warriors faced Colonel Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Jackson led soldiers from Tennessee, Georgia, and the Mississippi Territory, along with allied Lower Creek and Cherokee warriors. The Creek War was very difficult for the Creek people. Nearly 3,000 Creek people died, and many Upper Creek towns were destroyed. They also lost much of their food supplies. Because they had planted very few crops during 1813-1814, they suffered greatly from a lack of food.

After their defeat by Jackson's forces, many surviving Red Stick warriors, including McQueen, moved south into central Florida.