Treaty of Indian Springs (1821) facts for kids
The Treaty of Indian Springs, also known as the First Treaty of Indian Springs, was an agreement made between the Muscogee (Creek) people and the United States. It was signed on January 8, 1821, at a place now known as Indian Springs State Park. This treaty involved the Muscogee giving up a large amount of their land.
Background
The Muscogee people were not all united. For many years, some Muscogee, especially those known as the Lower Creek, started to adopt farming and other ways of life similar to American settlers. This was encouraged by an American official named Benjamin Hawkins.
However, not everyone agreed with these changes. A Native American leader named Tecumseh visited the Muscogee, encouraging them to hold onto their traditional ways. Unusual events like a bright comet and big earthquakes in 1811-1812 also made some Muscogee want to return to older traditions. These traditionalists became known as the Red Sticks.
In 1813, some Red Sticks returning from a battle near Detroit killed two American families. The US government asked the Muscogee to hand over the killers. Instead, Muscogee chiefs executed them, which led to a civil war among the Muscogee themselves. This war, called the Creek War, was fought between the Red Sticks and the Lower Creek, who were more allied with the Americans. The Red Sticks were defeated in a major battle called the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. American, Choctaw, and Cherokee forces helped defeat them.
After the war, William McIntosh became an important leader of the Lower Creek. He was part Muscogee and part white. He helped create a police force and set up a Muscogee National Council, which was like their government.
The state of Georgia started the talks for this treaty in December 1820. Georgia had two main goals. First, they wanted the Muscogee to give up land that was next to Cherokee territory. This would help keep the two tribes from forming a strong alliance. Second, people in Georgia claimed the Muscogee owed them about $350,000 for property that was taken or destroyed before 1802.
The federal government of the United States also had a goal. They wanted to move Native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River. So, they hoped to trade Muscogee lands in Georgia for new lands further west.
The Treaty
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Under the terms of the treaty, the Muscogee gave up their land east of the Flint River. This was a huge area, about 4 million acres (16,187 square kilometers), to Georgia.
In return, the United States government agreed to pay the Muscogee $200,000 over fourteen years. The first payment was $50,000. The US also agreed to pay the claims that Georgian citizens had against the Muscogee.
Additionally, William McIntosh received a direct payment of $40,000. He was also given 1,000 acres of land at Indian Springs. McIntosh later built a hotel on this land, which is now the Indian Springs Hotel Museum.
Aftermath
After this treaty, the Muscogee National Council made a strong rule. They swore they would not give up any more land to the United States. They even said that anyone who broke this promise would be put to death. However, despite this pledge, another treaty, the Second Treaty of Indian Springs, would be signed just a few years later, giving up even more land.
