Formative years: President Washington’s efforts to reform the new nation on Native American land
George Washington spent his life turning the Native American land for the new republic as well as his personal real estate. He believed that land acquired for a song would sell for a fortune. When European immigrants flooded the country, he owned extensive lands in what is now known as VA, WV, MD and PA. White immigrants settled in western territories in United States, they helped entrench slave labor. Eventually the new immigrants became slave-owners. Slavery and forcible occupation of lands from Native American tribes became the norm of the day. In the American society, both slavery and Native American mistreatments were divisive, dominating, illegal under colonial laws and downright immoral according Christian teachings. This was painful to the first president, but he also had the responsibility to unite the country and serve the interest of fringe groups which benefited the young nation. For example, he did not express his views on slowing the pace of slavery or respect the treaty with native tribes and their sovereignty. Conservatives frowned upon any idea that would grant rights or concessions to blacks or elevate Natives to the same level as white Americans. But Washington needed native tribes on his side so that he could fight off any military advances from English from the north or Spanish from south. He was also very wary of fierce war between revolutionary France and English Monarchy that would have divided English-loyalists and American patriots in United States. He had to ensure that natives will not aid English or French forces in any war that may ensue.
The first President’s Native American policies eroded their rights he claimed to protect and undermined the tribal sovereignty. Assaults on the resources of Native population continued to soar until their extinction. During almost fifty years of his life, the new nation’s culture, practices, foreign policies and geopolitical strategies evolved. He fought alongside native American allies in one war, and waged war against other tribes in another war. But he also enjoyed diplomacy when needed to enhance the power of federal political structure. He made controversial laws that granted Natives their sovereignty and made laws alongside so that they are not independent to make treaties with other colonial powers. They are to make treaty only with U.S and nobody else. The president and his supporters expected that native Americans left their hunting life-styles and became agriculturists and confirmed to Christian standards as mandated by boarding schools. When the Natives adapted to this way of living and became slave-owners and lived like white immigrants, the conservative population resented this change and wanted Native Americans to live as under-class but keep the lands for further white occupation. It was a sad irony to the new nation, but English monarchy kept the new democracy under check by constantly looking for cracks in the new republic and its relationship with Native Americans. The new America was using racial and slavery politics at astonishing scale and English expected that it was a matter of time that a breakdown may occur and beat the new republic in its own territory. But George Washington was one step ahead. He developed cozy relationship with well-known tribes like; Mohawks, Senecas, Oneidas, Cherokees, Chickasaws, and Creeks. He knew that these tribes were vital to the national security, and survival of a fragile democracy amongst formidable adversaries like England, France and Spain. The president also knew that the new immigrants coming from Europe needed land and will inevitably occupy the Native American lands that will eventually be settled in a conflict and use of force. The federal government found itself weak during the formative years. It was very vulnerable to political chaos domestically as well as due to foreign powers.
I enjoyed reading this comprehensive work that recounts the relationship between Native Americans and George Washington that lasted much of his life. Here, Professor Colin Calloway of Dartmouth College reexamines the highs and lows of George Washington’s legacy as the first president.
