The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a pair of treaties signed in 1768 and 1784 between the British Crown and Native American tribes, primarily the Iroquois Confederacy.
1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix
The first Treaty of Fort Stanwix was signed on October 17, 1768, at Fort Stanwix in present-day Rome, New York. It was negotiated between representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy and British colonial officials from New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
The treaty established a boundary line between Iroquois lands and British colonial lands. The line ran from the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers to the headwaters of the Kanawha River and then south to Spanish East Florida. The Iroquois agreed to cede all their land south and east of the line to the British.
The treaty also addressed the issue of trade between the Iroquois and the colonists. The Iroquois agreed to allow the colonists to trade with them in their own villages, rather than relying on intermediaries. The British agreed to provide the Iroquois with gifts and protection from hostile tribes.
1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix
The second Treaty of Fort Stanwix was signed on October 22, 1784, between representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy and the newly formed United States. It was renegotiated in response to the American Revolution, which had led to the British ceding their North American territories to the United States.
The treaty largely reaffirmed the terms of the 1768 treaty, but it also made some changes. The Iroquois agreed to cede additional land to the United States, including a large tract in western Pennsylvania. The United States also agreed to provide the Iroquois with a one-time payment of $22,000 and an annuity of $2,500.
Significance of the Treaties
The Treaties of Fort Stanwix were significant in several ways. They marked a major turning point in the relationship between Native Americans and the British and American governments. The treaties opened up vast tracts of land west of the Appalachian Mountains to white settlement, which had a profound impact on Native American populations and cultures.
The treaties also reflected the changing balance of power in North America. The British had been the dominant power in the region for centuries, but their defeat in the American Revolution marked the beginning of a new era in which the United States would become the dominant power.
The Treaties of Fort Stanwix have been the subject of much controversy in recent years. Some Native Americans argue that the treaties were illegal and that the Iroquois were not properly represented when they were signed. Others argue that the treaties were necessary to bring peace to the region and to protect Native American land from encroachment by white settlers.
The treaties continue to shape the relationship between Native Americans and the United States government today. The Iroquois Confederacy and other Native American tribes have used the treaties to assert their claims to land and resources, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in their favor on several occasions.
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