Caunocautarius: George Washington And Indians


Summary


This work analyzes George Washington's attitude towards American Indians and his relationship with them both in the French and Indian War and during his term as President of the United States. Throughout much of his adult life, Washington was forced to deal with the Indians on the frontier. In his days as a Colonel in the French and Indian War, Washington negotiated with Indians, presented them with gifts, and evaluated their military skills, as he realized Indian aid was absolutely necessary in winning the war. While recognizing and admiring their skills as warriors, Washington developed a very low opinion of the Indians, believing them to be greedy, merciless savages. Nevertheless, once the war was over, he advocated a system of fair trade with the Indians as the best way to develop peaceful expansion.

While president, the Indians presented him with challenges mainly on two fronts: the Northwest Territory (modern day Ohio), and the Georgia-Creek Indian border. In the North, the president three times sent military forces to compel the Miami Indians and their to recognize American hegemony on the Ohio territory. In the South, despite the constant demands of the state of Georgia, Washington did not send troops to fight the natives. The reason for the different response was that the goals of the United States varied in both respective areas. Washington held an indifferent view of the Indians and respected their territorial rights only when they did not interfere with the interests of the United States. As a result, he continued the tradition of Indian removal.


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