The relations between the Europeans and the Native Americans during the 18th century were a normal incidence both in the colonial frontiers and in English, French, and Spanish cities throughout the American continent. At the time, the northern-based Six Nations, or the Iroquois Confederacy, was one of the most powerful nations in the Native American territories (Shannon, 2008). The land occupied by the Six Nations traversed much of what is now the great state of New York. However, by the start of the 18th century, the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy was felt in the current states of West Virginia and Ohio and Canada’s Montreal. The occupancy and impact the Six Nations had in the northeastern side of North America made it a significant force acknowledged by the European colonists and the royals to treat the Nations as respected equals (Merrell, 2008). With power in its position, the terms of negotiation were established by the Iroquois Confederacy on the Europeans, Native American standings, and traditions.
During the start of the 18th century, the Europeans had not touched much of the Native American lands. The Natives had the power to control the interactions between them and the Europeans in the colonial frontiers and the cities by the English, French, and Spanish throughout the continent (Shannon, 2008). During the time, the Iroquois Confederacy had influence throughout the land, and due to its occupancy, the Six Nations engaged in various treaties, for multiple reasons, with the English and the French. However, in most treaties, the land was the primary reason for the negotiations between the Iroquois Confederacy and the French and English powers (Merrell, 2008). With the working intention to establish territorial claims by the two powerhouses, establishing pieces of land was first in the colonists’ minds and the royals.
Land predominance battles by the foreigners took place in treaty councils. Therefore, it was the mandate of the Iroquois Confederacy to maintain territorial claims, and in so doing, the Six Nations could flex muscles over who would be assigned which land. At the treaty councils, the Iroquois Confederacy employed a wide range of tactics that diverted the attention of the two powerhouses from the main indigenous homelands (Shannon, 2008). Further, the Iroquois Confederacy, through the tactics, intended to have the Europeans on the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains.
In 1722, the Albany Treaty was arranged by the then Five Nations. The Covenant Chain was renewed from the treaty, and agreements were made to recognize Blue Ridge Mountain as the separation point between the Five Nations and the Virginia Colony. In the same year, Tuscarora joined the Five Nations, expanding the Iroquois Confederacy region (Merrell, 2008). However, during the 1930s, the colonial governments could not prevent the white settlers from crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Shenandoah Valley. The objection by the Iroquois Confederacy on the crossing resulted in the realization the separation was only effective against the Natives and not the European settlers (Shannon, 2008). While the Natives were prevented from trespassing east of the mountains, the European colonists were never precluded from expanding west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The clash between the Iroquois and the European settlers at the Shenandoah Valley was the main reason the Native Americans came to the verge of declaring War on the Virginal Colony. However, as per Shannon (2008), Governor Gooch compensated the Natives with 100 sterling pounds for any settled land claimed by the Iroquois. The following year, the Iroquois sold their remaining claim to the valley, at the Lancaster Treaty, for 200 pounds sterling worth of gold and 200 pounds in gold (Merrell, 2008). The selling of the remaining Shenandoah Valley claims by the Iroquois to the English established the eastern line at the foot of the Shenandoah Mountains.
By mid-June 1944, the number of Iroquois that gathered outside Lancaster had swollen to several hundred upon the assembly of the Six Nations members and the English and German inhabitants. The gathering, which lasted two weeks, served to achieve two primary goals: securing Indian lands for the English settlement and receiving a guarantee that the Natives would back the English against the French (Shannon, 2008). During the two weeks, the families of the Indians explored Lancaster streets and traded with the European settlers, and in the evenings, the progress of the day’s conference would be discussed. The meeting allowed many immigrants to look at the Indians while the Natives shared an equal curiosity with the townspeople. At the end of the two weeks, the Iroquois concluded their claims to the thousand land acres. It safeguarded the Pennsylvania settler against the grave Indian invasions during the 1744-48 French War.
The Treaty of Lancaster happened due to an impending war threat between the English and the French. With the danger, the English treated the Iroquois to determine a more straight boundary line between the English colonies’ western edges and the Indian lands (Shannon, 2008). The established line was an approach by the English in pursuit of peace. While the Iroquois thought they sold land parcels in eastern Maryland and Pennsylvania, the wording in the treaty, coupled with the original Virginia Charter (1609), legally gave the English colonists an opportunity to go into Ohio Country (Merrel, 2008). Further, as per Merrell (2008), the westward flow into Ohio Country, facilitated by the Virginia Charter, took place after the English settlers were granted 300,000 acres of western lands to various conquerors. The move of the west into Ohio Country resulted in infringing the Indian lands and became the principal catalyst for the Seven Year’s War (Shannon, 2008). Another significant role of the established line was an attempt to conciliate the southern Catawba and the Iroquois, who had been involved in alternating fights in the past decades.
Before the start of The Treaty of Lancaster, the prominent diplomat and chief of the Onondaga Nation, Chief Canassetaga, before the start of The Treaty of Lancaster, recommended the colonies in their adaption of a government like the Iroquois. In his speech, the chief feared the threat that came from the French would find the English and the Natives without a firm coordinated policy that would help them address the upcoming military threat (Shannon, 2008). As Merrell (2008) shows, Canassetaga’s speech was, “Our wise forefathers established union and amity between the Five Nations; this has made us formidable; this has given us weight and authority with our neighboring nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and, by your observing the same methods our wise forefathers have taken, you will acquire new strength and power; therefore whatever befalls you, never fall out one with another” (Merrell, 2008). The words of Canassetaga would later be published and read by leaders like Benjamin Franklin, who influenced the United States into forming the constitution forty years after the treaty.
Even with the establishment of the apparent boundary by the Iroquois, the differences in interpretation remained. According to the Virginians, Merrell (2008) shows the Iroquois Confederacy had relinquished any claims to all the lands in the 1609 Virginia Charter boundaries. The abandoned boundaries extended to the Ohio River or the Pacific. On the contrary, the Iroquois considered the agreement to have ceded only the lands up to the watersheds of the Ohio River (Merrell, 2008). In other words, the Iroquois understood they had ceded lands extending to the Shenandoah Valley, which is to the east of the Allegheny Mountains.
The tension between the English and the French eventually came to its tipping point resulting in the Seven Year’s War. The War, also known as the North American Indian and French War, was a military conflict between the two European powerhouses (Merrell, 2008). Several battles followed took place on the colonial frontiers and the Native’s lands. Therefore, the Indians served a significant role in peacekeeping between the French and the English. In response to the speech by Canassetage, George Thomas, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, answered with respect to the peace maintained by the Iroquois Confederacy. As per Merrell (2008), the governor said, “The honourable Commissioners of Virginia and Maryland have desired me to speak for them. Therefore I, in Behalf of those Governments; as well as of the Province of Pennsylvania, return you Thanks for the many Proof you have given in your Speeches of your Zeal for the Service. Of your Brethren the English, and in particular for you having so early engaged in a Neutrality the several Tribes of Indians in the French alliance” (Merrell, 2008).
While the Iroquois Confederacy had maintained peace between the two powerhouses, the Indians finally sided with the English. As per Shannon (2008), once the English won the Seven Year’s War ending the French empire in North America, the Iroquois began to encounter complications with their bargaining power against the English. The absence of the French meant the English had to opposition to their quest for the Iroquois lands. Therefore, the Natives had to quickly develop new ways to defend themselves against the English encroachment.
The newly developed tactics against the encroachment often resulted in sacrificing autonomy to preserve ancestral homes and bartering with lands belonging to other Indians. Even with the new challenges, the Iroquois Confederacy was still capable of maintaining its sovereignty against the colonial settlers. A closer look at the treaty, among others that took place before and after The Lancaster Treaty, it becomes possible to note the Europeans were able to obscure power that belonged to the Native Americans. Further, the treaties played a significant role in shaping the actions of the Europeans in North America and the world over. To date, many of the treaties established before and after The Lancaster Treaty still have a lingering effect, with some of them being honored. They have been used to form the legal documents that continue to be utilized by the Native Americans when arguing for their rights in modern Amer
References
Merrell, J. H. (2008). The Lancaster Treaty of 1744: With related documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Shannon, T. J. (2008). The Iroquois and diplomacy on the early American frontier. New York: Viking.