Treaty of Fort Wayne
The Treaty of Fort Wayne, signed on September 30, 1809, marked a significant event in the history of U.S. interactions with Native American tribes. Negotiated by Indiana Territory Governor William Henry Harrison, the treaty involved leaders from the Delaware, Miami, and Potawatomi tribes. In this agreement, approximately 2.5 million acres of land southeast of the Wabash River were ceded to the United States in exchange for goods valued around $7,000 and an annual payment of $1,750. Although the compensation per acre was higher than typical for such treaties, the overall exchange is considered inequitable by many historians.
The treaty was part of a larger pattern of land cessions that began with earlier treaties and continued through multiple agreements, with more than fifteen treaties negotiated primarily by Harrison. This loss of land and autonomy spurred resistance among Native American communities, particularly led by figures like Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa. They rejected the legitimacy of the treaty, arguing that tribal leaders lacked the authority to relinquish land that belonged to all Native peoples. The opposition culminated in the establishment of new settlements and ultimately led to the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, which would ignite further conflict during the War of 1812. The Treaty of Fort Wayne thus represents a critical moment reflecting the tensions and struggles over land rights and sovereignty in early 19th-century America.
Treaty of Fort Wayne
Date: September 30, 1809
Place: Indiana
Tribes affected: Lenni Lenape, Miami, Potawatomi
Significance: Negotiated by William Henry Harrison and repudiated by Tecumseh, the leader of a pan-Indian movement, this treaty precipitated a chain of events that culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
On September 30, 1809, the governor of the Indiana Territory William Henry Harrison, met with leaders of the Delaware (Lenni Lenape), Miami, and Potawatomi tribes in the fort built by General “Mad Anthony” Wayne. They signed the Treaty of Fort Wayne, which exchanged 2.5 million acres of Indian land southeast of the Wabash River for goods worth about $7,000 and an annuity of $1,750. Later that year, a separate treaty with the Kickapoo and Wea added a half million acres. While the exchange rate of two cents per acre was higher than usual for such treaties, it was still an unfair exchange. The treaty culminated a process begun in 1795 with the Treaty of Fort Greenville, which had ceded a meager six square miles of Miami land to the United States government. In the ensuing period, more than fifteen treaties had been signed, most of them negotiated by Harrison, relinquishing control of Indian lands. While Harrison was able to maintain friendly relations with the major tribal leaders, the loss of native lands had started a countermovement.
Led by the Shawnee prophet Tenskwatawa, a pan-Indian movement developed based on opposition to the cession of Indian lands and to the tribal leaders who had negotiated the treaties. Tenskwatawa, his brother Tecumseh, and their followers refused to recognize the validity of the treaties on the ground that the land belonged to all Indian peoples so the chiefs had no authority to sign the lands away. To show defiance of the treaties, Tenskwatawa established new Indian towns at Greenville from 1806 to 1808 in defiance of the Treaty of Greenville. From 1808 to 1811, he established Prophetstown at Tippecanoe to show that his movement did not honor the Treaty of Fort Wayne.
As Harrison continued his plans to open the recently acquired lands, Tecumseh assumed the role of war chief and took command of the nativist movement. He warned Harrison to keep surveyors and settlers out of the territory. So threatening was his presence that, for two years, virtually no settlement occurred. In order to break the stalemate, Harrison led troops in an attack on Prophetstown in 1811 while Tecumseh was farther south trying to gain allies among the Creek, Choctaw, and Cherokee. The ensuing Battle of Tippecanoe efficiently removed Tecumseh’s followers from the immediate area. It was also, however, the opening action of a war that would last until 1815 and would see Tecumseh ally his forces with the British in the War of 1812.