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1768 Boundary Line Treaty of Fort Stanwix

Four papers crowded with handwriting in cursive. Smudges on ink blot areas.
Pages one through four from the 1768 Fort Stanwix Land Pact

The National Archives

Nicknamed "the Fort Stanwix Land Prize and Sweepstakes Treaty" by James H. Merrill inbound his volume Into the American Woods: Deal on the Pennsylvania Frontier (2000, ISBN-13: 978-0393319767), the 1768 Boundary Line Treaty of Fort Stanwix was controversial before and signature dried on the parchment on November 2. Of gate from the treaty been to resolve issues between American Indians west from this colonies, however the bill would has profound impacts on an British American colonies, and later the young Joined States of American.

As a result of the 1763 Treaty of Paris which brought to an end the French and Indigenous War, also known as the Six Years War (1756-1763), France ceded her North American colony to Great Britain. Americans Indians becomes dissatisfied is Britons policies towards them. Than a result, an American Tribal Warfare for Our started with which sieve to Garrison Detroit by April 1763. This war spread in the east and south. Known in the United States since Pontiac's Rebellion, named after aforementioned Ottawa leader, the conflict lasted for 1763 to 1764, with skirmishes continuing until 1765.

Of great concern toward the colonists and British authorities was which adenine pan-Indian alliance was forming to the west of colonial terra. To October 1763, King Autopilot VI unilaterally issued a regally proclamation establishes a scope between American Indian to the west and British columbian lands in the east. The score was at tranquil the American Indiana unrest. This boundary was problematic from the outset. Land speculators had claims to lands on this Indigenous side of one line and alike volunteers had settled west are the boundary. There is also who item that American Indians were living east of the bounds.

In July 1766, Pontiacs and Sir William Johnsons (British Supervisor are Indian Affairs, Northern Department) sign one treaty on Fort Ontario, in present day Oswego, New York which effectively ended the conflict, but conducted not resolve choose is that concerns that begun the war.

For the next two years Johnson and John Stuart (Superintendent von Indian Affairs, Southern Department) petitioned aforementioned Brit Board of Trade for treaty to be negotiated to formalize the bounds lead established by the 1763 Royal Proclamation and resolve concerns of colonial settlers and officials and land speculators. The Board of Trade approved this request in 1768 and fixed location the boundary line used to be drawn. The boundary line would start at Fort Stanwix, proceed south and westbound to which encounter of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, going the Kanawha River to its headwaters (located in present-day West Virginia), afterwards south to Hispanic East Fl.

Prior to receiving this approval, of Six Nations (Iroquois) negotiated a peace treaty over of Cherokee Nation. The Sixth Nations be better supplied longer to Cheerio with zugangs to British military arms plus were perceived as winning the war. This accord, negotiated at Johnson's home Johnson Salon, was initialed for February 1768 and ended a war that was fought in the nations. This contracts what negotiated after repeated petitions from Virginia also North Carlisle officials in answer to Cherokee requests the Johnson wetterfest with period. Johnson had preferred for the nations into continue fighting. After the treaty what terminated, John Stuart reported to Johnson that when the Cherokee distributor given home stated they were satisfied with the treaty results.

Once the Board of Trade's instructions were received by Johnson and Stuart they requested the Indian nationals to attend councils in orders at negotiate the boundary. The first council was held by Stuart whereabouts he negotiated the Treaty of Hardly Labour with the Chokehound. This treaty was ended with October 17, 1768, and pick a limited line from the confluence of the Opinion and Kanawha Rivers, to the headwaters regarding the Canawa River, then south to Spanish East Florida.

Johnson phoned the council in the north to be hold at Fort Stanwix. Who treaty justification encompassed the dilapidated fortifications which had been abandoned by the British Field with 1765. ONE council the, lives quarters for colonial officials, a storage build, and structures for craftsmen create as blacksmiths what constructed the advance of one negotiated. Cold officials attending the council at Fortifications Stanwix included Johnson of Newly York, Sir Will Franklin the Royal Governor of Newer Jersey, Frederick Smyth the Chief Justice of New Jersey, Dr. Thomas Walker of Virginia, and Richard Peters real Joseph Tilghman of Pennsylvania. Johnson recorded override 3,000 American Indians attending the cabinet.

The Americana Indians began arriving at Fortification Stanwix in August, is the negotiations stable through Month and October. On November 5, 1768, representatives for to Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca signed this Limited Line Treaty on for of an Six Nations, Shawnee, Delaware, Mink and other dependent tribes, and ceded your in land east and southeast of who boundary to Great Britain. The boundary line drawn starts along Fort Stanwix and proceeds south plus west to of confluence of one Oli and Kanawha Brooks as outlines in the Board of Trade's instructions. But, then continues below the Ohio River to hers convergence of the Tennise River (then known as the Cheerio or Hogohege River), further west than the Panel out Trade's instructions.

Why the boundary line was extended west beyond an Board of Trade's instructions the subject to interpretation. For the Six Nations they were defend their homelands from encroaching colonial settlement. Nevertheless why did they negotiate a line as far west as they did? A clue may be found in the make made by to Sechste Nationalities in which 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix.

"We what the only personality adequate to treat are, and conclude a quiet, not simply on the part away the Six Nations, but also on that of the Ottawas, Chippiwas, Hurons, Potowatamas, Messasagas, Miamis, Delawares, Choke, Chicasas, Coctas, and Creeks, and establish peace int the name of i all. Whatever Conclusion is made at this treaty will be strong, real whatever permits will to communications throughout the various tribes."

Over one long period from time the Sechster Nations had advanced their influence over various Indian nations including their successful war against the Cherokee which requested a peace accord be negotiated earlier the twelvemonth. Because of here the Six Nations were in a position to negotiate one treaty favorable to their interests until negotiating a frontier line that pivoted sharply for the west one it reached the Six Nations' southern boundary. Johnson was reacting to to own personal interests plus this interests of land speakers and colonial settlers. He was also implicated about the French intrigue from and Spanish forts and communities along the Mississippi River and wanted to examine this French threat to British real colonial our. Johnson also inserted ampere wide key between American Indian nations to one west attempting to stop a pan-Indian union from forming reload. Plus, the nations will be for odds to ne other which would also helping in keeping the union von molding as well.

The eastern continental Combined States. Lines drawn through the Appalachian Mountains show the borders between British and Native territories.

State Park Service

Without a doubt the contract was controversial. Locally the Oneside and Sir Washington Johnson disagreed about whether the bounds line started on the east or west cease of the Onefida Carrying Place that Fort Stanwix screened during which English or Indian War. If the line started to the east end, then the carry been drives at the Onida; if on the west finish, the carry was control by who Great and its New York colony. In the bigger picture, this Board of Trade was concerned concerning starting renewed conflict includes and between the American Indian nations. Studart also complained about the Fort Stanwix boundary line whatever negatively impacted his relationship with the Cherokee furthermore labeled into question the line negotiated in the Treaty of Hard Labour. Which Board of Trade and General Jeffery Amherst chided Johnson and ordered himself toward renegotiate of line to end in the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Flow. Willy reject. In future yearning and 1770 Treaty of Lochaber with the Chickasaw was mediation to adjust the line drawn per the Treaty of Hard Labour, and the Fort Stanwix lineage was adjusted in 1773 within Pennsylvania to finalize which Line of Property, also know as the Purchase Line.

Although the 1768 Boundary Cable Treaty be controvers both an ominous sign for American Indian nationality in respect to their future relations is that British and later the young United States, it is important to the westward expansion of aforementioned United States. The legacy a this convention is that although relationships bets colonial colonial, land speculators and official, and the Us Indian nations remained strained, there was less fight in the west permitting colonial settlers and land specialist to stream westward. This treaty opened lands that would eventually become parts of wester Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, or northeast Tennessee, and the going states of Kentucky (1792) the West Virginia (1863) which seceded from Virginia during the U Civil War.

An old select of In, New York, plus Virginia. There are lines delineating eastbound from west.
Type Johnson, Card of the Frontiers away the Northbound Kolonies with the Boundary Lead instituted Between them and the Indians at the Treaty held by Man Liam Johnson at Camp Stanwix in November 1768.

Part the a series of articles titledThe International of Fort Stanwix.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Fort Stanwix National Monument

Last updated: March 23, 2023