Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) facts for kids
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was an important agreement. It was signed on October 22, 1784. This treaty was between the United States and Native American groups. These groups were part of the Iroquois League. The signing happened at Fort Stanwix, which is now Rome, New York. This was the first of many treaties between the U.S. and Native Americans. It happened after the American victory in the Revolutionary War.
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Why the Treaty Was Needed
After the Revolutionary War, Britain gave up its land claims in North America. They gave these lands to the American government. This happened even though their Native American allies did not want it. Because of this, the Treaty of Paris did not mention Native American lands. This treaty was the peace agreement between Britain and the American colonies.
Many Iroquois League members went to Canada after the war. They wanted to keep getting support from the British. Later, some Iroquois returned to their homes in the Ohio region. These returning groups often fought with colonists. The colonists were trying to settle in the area.
What the Treaty Did
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix aimed to create peace. It was between the Americans and the Iroquois. It also aimed to secure other Native American lands further west. The Iroquois had won these lands in earlier wars. These were called the Beaver Wars.
Joseph Brant was a main Native American leader at the start. He said his group was there for peace. He also said they could not give away land. Brant had to leave early for a trip to England. The main Native American leaders who signed were Cornplanter and Captain Aaron Hill.
In this treaty, the Iroquois Confederacy gave up claims to the Ohio territory. They also gave up a strip of land along the Niagara River. And they gave up all land west of Buffalo Creek. In Pennsylvania, the land bought in this treaty is called the "Last Purchase."
Treaty Rejection and Other Agreements
The Six Nations council at Buffalo Creek did not approve the treaty. They said their delegates did not have the power to give away so much land. They asked the Americans to return the land deeds. They also offered to pay back any gifts they had received.
Other Native American groups also rejected the treaty. These groups were part of the Indian confederacy. Most of the Six Nations did not live in the Ohio territory. The Native Americans living in the Ohio Country also rejected it. These included the Shawnee, the Seneca-Cayuga, and the Delaware.
Many treaties and land sales followed this rejection:
- 1785 Treaty of Fort McIntosh with the Wyandot, Delaware, Chippewa, and Ottawa leaders for lands in Ohio.
- 1786 Treaty of Fort Finney with Shawnee leaders for parts of Ohio.
- 1788 Phelps and Gorham Purchase with the Iroquois for lands in New York State east of the Genesee River.
- 1789 Treaty of Fort Harmar repeated earlier land claims in Ohio.
- 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua made peace with the Iroquois. It also confirmed their land rights in New York State east of the Genesee River.
- 1797 Treaty of Big Tree with the Iroquois for lands in New York State west of the Genesee River.
Impact on the Iroquois
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix greatly hurt the Iroquois League. The Revolutionary War had already made the confederacy weaker. The talks at Fort Stanwix divided them even more. After the war, the Iroquois never regained their strong influence.
