Speckled Snake facts for kids

Speckled Snake was an important leader of the Muscogee people, also known as the Creeks. In 1829, he spoke out against a plan by President Andrew Jackson. Jackson wanted the Muscogee people to move far away, across the Mississippi River. Speckled Snake believed this was a bad idea for his people.

Speckled Snake's Speech

On June 20, 1829, Speckled Snake gave a powerful speech to his people. He spoke after hearing President Andrew Jackson's ideas about moving Native American tribes west of the Mississippi River. Speckled Snake wanted his "Brothers" (his people) to understand the history between the Muscogee and the white settlers.

The White Man's Arrival

Speckled Snake reminded his people about the first time white settlers came to their lands. He said that when the "great father" (meaning the white leader) first arrived, he was small and wore a red coat. The Muscogee chiefs met him by the Savannah River and shared a pipe of peace.

The white man said he had traveled a long way. He asked for a small piece of land to build a fire and rest. He claimed he came to teach new things and make the Native Americans happy. He also said he loved his "red brothers." The Muscogee people gave him land and helped him. When other white people fought against him, Muscogee warriors even protected him.

Growing Power and Broken Promises

Speckled Snake explained that after the white man was helped and fed, he grew very powerful. He became so big that his feet covered plains and valleys, and his hands reached from sea to sea. Then, he became their "Great Father."

But this "Great Father" who said he loved his "red children" started pushing them away. He told them to "Get a little further, lest I tread on thee." He pushed the Muscogee people across rivers and destroyed their ancestors' graves and hunting grounds.

Speckled Snake said the "Great Father" kept telling them to move further away. Some Muscogee people stayed near their ancestors' graves, but they were crushed by the white man's advance. Even though this made the "Great Father" angry, he still claimed to love his "red children." When they moved too slowly, he sent his "great guns" (cannons) to clear his path.

The Land Question

Speckled Snake pointed out that the "Great Father's" talks always ended with "Get a little further, you are too near me." He also mentioned that the "Great Father" now claimed the land where the Muscogee lived had always belonged to white people.

But Speckled Snake remembered when the white man was small. He had asked for "a little land, which you can spare," and promised to pay for it. Later, when the "Great Father" told them to move beyond certain rivers to a "pleasant country," he also promised that land "shall be yours forever."

A Warning for the Future

Now, the "Great Father" was telling them to move again, this time across the Mississippi River. He promised there would be game (animals to hunt) and that they could stay "while the grass grows or the water runs."

Speckled Snake asked a powerful question: "Will not our great father come there also?" He wondered if the "Great Father," who claimed to speak truthfully, would eventually push them even further.

He also spoke about the "Great Father's" sadness over the murder of one white child. But Speckled Snake asked, "Where are the red children which he loves, once as numerous as the leaves of the forest?" He reminded them how many Native Americans had been killed by the white man's warriors or crushed by his advance.

Speckled Snake ended his speech by saying that the "Great Father" wanted them to go beyond the Mississippi, promising care and kindness. But Speckled Snake stated, "We have felt it all before." He implied that these promises had been broken many times before.