Little Turtle’s War and Tecumseh’s War: The History and Legacy of the Fighting between the United States and Native Americans for the Northwest Territory

When the American Revolution ended, the U.S. and Britain reached a comprehensive peace in the Treaty of Paris. Among the important terms of the treaty, Britain recognized the colonies as free and relinquished territorial claims to them. The two sides then negotiated the boundaries that separated the United States from the British colonies in present-day Canada. Almost immediately, individual states in America rejected certain provisions and ignored them outright, a hallmark characteristic of American federalism that would lead to the Civil War 80 years later. Other problems included disputes along the boundary with Canada. Some of these problems would fester heading into the 19thcentury, and eventually the British and Americans would go to war again in 1812.The new United States was faced with a fundamental problem: to expand, it had to settle lands to the west of the Appalachian Mountains, ceded to it by the British. However, the mountains were occupied by Native American groups who had no desire to make way for white settlers. The conflicts that followed consisted mostly of the Native Americans suffering defeat in the face of a better-equipped adversary, interspersed with binding treaties, which, on the side of the federal government, proved not very binding at all. Occasionally, however, there arose a Native American leader of such ability that such defeats were temporarily reversed, and Little Turtle, the war chief of the Miami tribe, was one such man. Under his leadership, a confederation of Miami and other tribes inflicted the worst defeat ever suffered by an American army in the newly independent nation. Almost a quarter of the Army’s total strength was lost in a single battle, but while later Native American leaders such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse have become legends, Little Turtle is not as well-remembered. Augustin Mottin de La Balme (1733-1780), écuyer d’une finesse exceptionnelle, écrivain très rousseauiste et bouillant capitaine de cavalerie, est un des pères de l’équitation militaire. Sa vie est d’abord un roman. Fils d’un tanneur dauphinois que l’artisanat avait rapproché des élites villageoises, Augustin Mottin sert dans la prestigieuse Gendarmerie de France, puis devient instructeur à l’École d’équitation établie à Lunéville. Son passage chez les « gendarmes rouges » l’assimilerait à un gentilhomme, mais la réaction nobiliaire est implacable... Ayant la tête épique mais les pieds dans le crottin du manège, le sieur Mottin espère qu’une incursion dans la République des Lettres lui fera un nom : Mottin de La Balme écrit donc de brillants essais sur l’équitation et la tactique qu’il présente à Louis XVI. C’est peine perdue : son statut d’officier de fortune ne lui offre aucune perspective de commandement. Pendant ce temps, le Nouveau Monde bouge. Volontaire de la première heure de la guerre d’Indépendance des États-Unis, recommandé par Franklin, Mottin de La Balme embarque avec le jeune frère de son éditeur, qui est aussi celui de Beaumarchais. Le Congrès le nomme Inspecteur Général de la Cavalerie américaine. Mais le colonel de La Balme démissionne très vite parce qu’on lui préfère le comte Pulawski pour mener cette arme au combat. Il reprend bientôt espoir grâce à un projet d’invasion du Canada, puis construit des ateliers à Philadelphie pour « soustraire les victimes de la guerre aux horreurs de l’infortune ». A cet admirateur d’Hannibal, il restera le Pays des Illinois : le soldat-philosophe y exhortera le petit peuple des paysans à la vertu, l’invitant à prendre les armes pour défendre sa liberté. Son but : armer une troupe d’Indiens et de Canadiens pour prendre Fort Détroit aux Anglais et soulever le Canada tout entier. L’opération est un échec et le massacre de La Balme, le premier fait d’armes de Petite-Tortue, redoutable chef de guerre des Indiens miamis. Le fil biographique est utilisé ici comme révélateur. A cheminer à cheval avec Mottin de La Balme du Dauphiné aux rives du Mississippi, en passant par les forêts de Westphalie, on bénéficie d’un point de vue singulier pour explorer l’histoire sociale, militaire et culturelle des Deux Mondes, dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle. [Augustin Mottin de La Balme was the mystery man of the American Revolution in Illinois Country. His “massacre”, in 1780, is often considered as the first of Chief Little Turtle’s notable military victories. Long overdue, this biography of the French cavalry officer unveils a prominent character, at one and the same time soldier, horseman and philosopher, buoyed up with the will to put the spirit of the Enlightenment into practice. Augustin Mottin was born to a tanner in Saint-Antoine, Dauphiné (French Alps), on August 28, 1733. During the Seven Years War, he served as a trooper in the oldest company of the Gendarmerie de France (The Men at Arms of France), the “Scottish” company, dating back to 1422. After the war, he studied the art of horsemanship under several well-known masters in Paris and became in his turn a master at the Gendarmerie’s Riding School. Promoted Fourrier-Major in 1766, he finally obtained a retirement pension in 1773. With the assumed name of “Mottin de La Balme”, he wrote a book on horsemanship (1773) and a book on cavalry tactics (1776) that he presented to King Louis XVI with the hope to obtain the command of a regiment. At the same time, Americans declared themselves independent of all British connections. Mottin de La Balme foresaw a chance to prove his value and to test his principles in a new Republic free of antiquated ideas. The Congress made him the first Inspector General of the Cavalry of the United-States, with the rank of Colonel. But Colonel de La Balme soon resigned wen he found that Pulawski was in command of the Cavalry. Following the Saratoga campaign, he rejoined the victorious general Gates, supporting the project of a revolution of French Canadians. Then, he erected a row of workshops near Philadelphia to help the poor to overcome, by the means of their own labor, the difficulties of their misfortune. In 1780, on his own initiative, and probably inspired by Clark’s previous attempt, the soldier-philosopher exhorted Indians and French Canadians to take up arms to defend their freedom. He advanced with them against Fort Détroit with a general rising of Canadians as a final objective. The expedition was disastrous... Walking on with Mottin de La Balme from the French Alps to Mississippi banks, through the forests of Westphalia, in Germany, one can gain a singular point of view to explore the military, social and cultural history of the two worlds, during the second part of the Eighteenth Century.] Sommaire / Contents Table des illustrations Préface Avant-propos Remerciements Chapitre premier Saint-Antoine et le feu sacré d’Augustin Mottin Saint-Antoine en ses murailles Les Mottin ou l’aristocratie de la roture campagnarde Augustin à la ville : soyeux, drapiers, notaires, bouchers et autres chirurgiens « Je croyais déjà me voir en habit d’officier avec un beau plumet blanc » Chapitre II L’adresse et la valeur en décident Des compagnies d’ordonnance à la gendarmerie de France Le sieur Augustin Mottin, gendarme écossais Cheminer dans la boue, jusqu’au ventre des chevaux La fatale journée de Minden L’heureuse journée de Johannisberg et le dernier bruit de guerre À l’académie, à Paris, pour y apprendre à monter à cheval « Il aura vu soixante mille chevaux et autant d’hommes » Chapitre III Que les armes le cèdent aux livres ! Naissance de « La Balme » Portrait du centaure « Pour quelques découvertes, combien n’avons-nous pas erré ! » Anéantir tous les maux occasionnés par la mollesse L’art ou science du manège Mon « Tic-Tac » n’est pas pour les dames « J’avoue qu’Hannibal est mon héros » Chapitre IV Sous les treize étoiles, pour l’amour de la liberté Dans le cercle du libraire Ruault De Paris à Bordeaux : un étrange manège Colonel Augustin Mottin de La Balme, Inspector General of Cavalry La prétendue « Cabale de Conway » Monsieur de La Balme, artisan de l’Indépendance Le mystérieux prisonnier de guerre de Penobscot Chapitre V Petite-Tortue et le massacre de La Balme Où il est question d’un voyage au Pays des Illinois George Rogers Clark : un jeune Virginien aux Illinois Aux amis de la liberté ! « Je commandais, j’étais libre ! » Le massacre de La Balme Petite-Tortue, le plus grand des Miamis Épilogue Les deux mondes, entre souvenir et oubli En fin de compte, qui était Monsieur de La Balme ? Les comtes Mottin de La Balme ou le défaut de la cuirasse Abréviations Sources manuscrites Bibliographie Annexes Index Even As Interest In The Powerful, Often Tragic History Of Native America Grows, Many Books Continue To Perpetuate Long-standing Misconceptions Of The Past As Well As The Romantic Stereotypes Often Popularized Today. Readers Can Now Rely On Encyclopedia Of North American Indians For An Authentic And Often Surprising Portrait Of The Complexities Of The Native American Experience. Written By More Than 260 Contemporary Authorities, The Volume Features Many Native American Contributors - Including Eminent Writers, Tribal Elders, Scholars, And Activists - With Voices As Distinct As Their Subjects, Offering A Deeper And More Informed Appreciation Of American Indian Life, Past And Present. Illustrated With Many Rare Photographs, The Encyclopedia Features Articles On Subjects Such As Mound Builders, Reservations, Cigar-store Indians, Child Rearing, Powwows, Boarding Schools, Museums And Collectors, Dreams, The Occupation Of Alcatraz, And The Impact Of American Indian Civilizations On Europe And The World. Contemporary Topics Include Gambling, Sports Mascots, Alcoholism, Urban Indians, And The Status Of Women. Biographies Illuminate Not Only Famous Chiefs And Warriors But An Enormously Diverse Group Of Historical Figures, Such As Pauline Johnson, A Mohawk Who Became The First American Indian Woman To Publish Poetry; Charles Curtis, A Kaw Indian Who Served As Vice President Under Herbert Hoover; And Chief Bender, An Ojibwa Who Played And Coached Professional Baseball And Is Lauded In The Baseball Hall Of Fame. Covering Arctic To Southeastern Peoples, Separate Articles On More Than One Hundred Major Tribes - From Abenaki To Zuni - Discuss Community Origins, Rituals And Beliefs, Social Organization, And Present-day Life. Maps -- Introduction -- Entries -- Contributors -- Credits -- Contributor Index -- General Index. Frederick E. Hoxie, Editor. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Most History Concentrates On The Broad Sweep Of Events, Battles And Political Decisions, Economic Advance Or Decline, Landmark Issues And Events, And The People Who Lived And Made These Events Tend To Be Lost In The Big Picture. Cayton's Lively New History Of The Frontier Period In Indiana Puts The Focus On People, On How They Lived, How They Viewed Their World, And What Motivated Them. Here Are The Stories Of Jean-baptiste Bissot, Sieur De Vincennes; George Croghan, The Ultimate Frontier Entrepreneur; The World As Seen By George Rogers Clark; Josiah Hamar And John Francis Hamtramck; Little Turtle; Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison And William Henry Harrison; Tenskwatawa; Jonathan Jennings; Calvin Fletcher; And Many Others. Focusing His Account On These And Other Representative Individuals, Cayton Retells The Story Of Indiana's Settlement In A Human And Compelling Narrative Which Makes The Experience Of Exploration And Settlement Real And Exciting. Here Is A Book That Will Appeal To The General Reader And Scholar Alike While Going A Long Way To Reinfusing Our Understanding Of History And The Historical Process With The Breath Of Life Itself. The World Of The Miami, 1700-1754 -- The World Of George Croghan, 1750-1777 -- The Village Of Vincennes, 1765-1777 -- The World Of George Rogers Clark, 1778-1787 -- The World Of Josiah Harmar And John Francis Hamtramck, 1787-1790 -- The World Of Little Turtle, 1790-1795 -- The World Of Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison, 1795-1810 -- The World Of Tenskwatawa, 1795-1811 -- The World Of Jonathan Jennings, 1800-1816 -- The End Of The Frontier, 1816-1850 -- Epilogue: This Country Of Liberty. Andrew R. L. Cayton. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 318-330) And Index. The story of this Midwestern state and its people, past and present: “An entertaining and fast read.” ―Indianapolis Star Who are the people called Hoosiers? What are their stories? Two centuries ago, on the Indiana frontier, they were settlers who created a way of life they passed to later generations. They came to value individual freedom and distrusted government, even as they demanded that government remove Indians, sell them land, and bring democracy. Down to the present, Hoosiers have remained wary of government power and have taken care to guard their tax dollars and their personal independence. Yet the people of Indiana have always accommodated change, exchanging log cabins and spinning wheels for railroads, cities, and factories in the nineteenth century, automobiles, suburbs, and foreign investment in the twentieth. The present has brought new issues and challenges, as Indiana's citizens respond to a rapidly changing world. James H. Madison's sparkling new history tells the stories of these Hoosiers, offering an invigorating view of one of America's distinctive states and the long and fascinating journey of its people. Who are the people called Hoosiers? What are their stories? Two centuries ago, on the Indiana frontier, they were settlers who created a way of life they passed to later generations. They came to value individual freedom and distrusted government, even as they demanded that government remove Indians, sell them land, and bring democracy. Down to the present, Hoosiers have remained wary of government power and have taken care to guard their tax dollars and their personal independence. Yet the people of Indiana have always accommodated change, exchanging log cabins and spinning wheels for railroads, cities, and factories in the 19th century, automobiles, suburbs, and foreign investment in the 20th. The present has brought new issues and challenges, as Indiana's citizens respond to a rapidly changing world. James H. Madison's sparkling new history tells the stories of these Hoosiers, offering an invigorating view of one of America's distinctive states and the long and fascinating journey of its people. "Over 10 years in the making, American National Biography is a fascinating study of the people who have shaped the United States. Why replace the Dictionary of American Biography instead of merely updating it through supplements? Because the editors include new scholarship and people who were missed in the original, especially women and ethnic minorities. Numbering 24 volumes and containing 17,500 entries, the work offers readable, informative, and critical biographies for each subject, the location of their papers (if they exist), and selective bibliographies. Excellent indexes--subject, contributor, place of birth, and occupation--enhance use. This is an outstanding set that will be heavily consulted for many years to come."--"Outstanding reference sources 2000", American Libraries, May 2000. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA. This volume recognizes the people who made enduring contributions to the state of Indiana in its 200-year history. Written by historians, scholars, biographers, and independent researchers, the biographical essays will enhance the public s knowledge and appreciation of those who made a difference in the lives of Hoosiers, the country, and even the world. While the essays contain standard biographical information, emphasis is placed on what these people accomplished and the resulting impact of their lives on the state and elsewhere. Subjects profiled in the book include individuals from all fields of law, politics, art, music, entertainment, literature, sports, education, business/industry, religion, science/invention/technology, as well as the notorious. Augustin Mottin De La Balme (1733-1780), Fils D'un Tanneur Dauphinois, écuyer D'une Finesse Exceptionnelle, écrivain Très Rousseauiste Et Bouillant Capitaine De Cavalerie, Est Un Des Pères De L'équitation Militaire Mais Son Statut D'officier De Fortune Ne Lui Offre Aucune Perspective De Commandement... A Cheminer à Cheval Avec Mottin De La Balme Du Dauphiné Aux Rives Du Mississippi En Passant Par Les Forêts De Westphalie, On Bénéficie D'un Point De Vue Singulier Pour Explorer L'histoire Sociale, Militaire Et Culturelle Des Deux Mondes, Dans La Seconde Moitié Du Xviiième Siècle. Frédéric Magnin ; Préface De Daniel Roche. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [385]-398) And Index. v. 1. Aarons-Baird v. 2. Baker-Blatch v. 3. Blatchford-Burnet v. 4. Burnett-Clarke, Lewis v. 5. Clarke, Mary-DaCosta v. 6. Dafora-Dubuclet v. 7. Dubuque-Fishbein v. 8. Fishberg-Gihon v. 9. Gilbert-Hand v. 10. Handerson-Hofmann v. 11. Hofstadter-Jepson v. 12. Jeremiah-Kurtz v. 13. Kurtzman-Lovecraft v. 14. Lovejoy-McCurdy v. 15. McCutcheon-Moskowitz v. 16. Mosler-Parish v. 17. Park-Pushmataha v. 18. Putman-Roush v. 19. Rousseau-Simmons v. 20. Simms-Stratemeyer v. 21. Stratton-Tunney v. 22. Tunnicliff-Welk v. 23. Wellek-Wrenn v. 24. Wright-Zworykin. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS - NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY CULTURE AND LIFE FROM PAALEO - INDIANS TO THE PRESENT - FREDERICK E HOXIE - EDITOR - HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY - COPYRIGHT 1996 - BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY - ISBN 0395669219 - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - CONTENTS - MAPS - INTRODUCTION - ENTRIES - CONTRIBUTORS - CREDITS - INDEX OF CONTRIBUTORS - GENERAL INDEX - 756 PAGES - ISBN 0395669219 - UPC 9780395669211 90000 - 6-88286 The People Of Indiana Have Always Accommodated Change, Exchanging Log Cabins And Spinning Wheels For Railroads, Cities, And Factories In The 19th Century; Automobiles, Suburbs, And Foreign Investment In The 20th. The Present Has Brought New Issues And Challenges, As Indiana's Citizens Respond To A Rapidly Changing World. Madison Offers An Invigorating View Of One Of America's Distinctive States And The Long And Fascinating Journey Of Its People. This book recognizes the people who made enduring contributions to Indiana in its 200-year history. Individuals from all fields of endeavor made a difference in the lives of Hoosiers, the country, and even the world. Discover figures in politics, sports, religion-- and even crime-- and what they contributed to our history. Published as part of the Indiana Historical Society's commemoration of Indiana's bicentennial Reprint Of The 1812 Ed. The Journal Of Mr. Charles Le Raye: P. [158]-204.