List of Choctaw Treaties

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Main article: Choctaw
The entire Choctaw Nation divided up by treaty in relation to the U.S. state of Mississippi.
The entire Choctaw Nation divided up by treaty in relation to the U.S. state of Mississippi.

List of Choctaw Treaties is a comprehensive chronological list of historic agreements that directly or indirectly affected the Choctaw (an American Indian people) with other nations. Choctaw land was systematically obtained through treaties, legislation, and threats of warfare. Treaties were made with Great Britain, France, and Spain. Nine treaties were signed with the United States.[1] Some treaties, like the Treaty of San Lorenzo, indirectly affected the Choctaws.

The Choctaws considered European laws and diplomacy foreign and puzzling. The most confusing aspect of treaty making was writing which was impressive for a people who have not developed a written system. Choctaw history, as with many Native Americans, was passed orally from generation to generation. Europeans needed treaties to satisfy their cultural laws and easy their consciences. During treaty negotiations the three main Choctaw tribal areas (Upper Towns, Six town, and Lower Towns) had a "Minko" (chief) to represent them. Spain had the earliest claims to Choctaw country which was followed by French claims starting in the late 1600s. The United States, following the Treaty of San Lorenzo, laid claim to Choctaw country starting in 1795.

By the early 1800s pressure from U.S. southern states, like Georgia, encouraged the procurement of Native American lands. The Treaty of Fort Adams was the first in a series of treaties that ceded Choctaw lands. The Choctaws were relocated from their homeland, now known as the Deep South, to lands west of the Mississippi River. Approximately 15,000 Choctaws made the move to what would be called Indian Territory and then later Oklahoma.[2] About 2,500 died along the trail of tears. The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek signed away the remaining tradition homeland to the United States. There would be three waves of removals starting in 1831. After the final wave of removal in 1833, nearly 6000 Choctaws chose to stay in the newly formed state of Mississippi. The newly settled European-Americans persistently urged the Mississippi Choctaws to remove, but they refused. Although smaller Choctaw groups can be found throughout the U.S. south, Choctaws are mainly found in Oklahoma and Mississippi.

[edit] Treaties

Treaty Year Signed with Where Purpose Ceded Land
Charleston 1738 Great Britain Charleston, SC Trade and Alliance n/a
Mobile 1749 France Mobile, AL Trade and Alliance n/a
Grandpre 1750 France Choctaw Nation Ended Choctaw Civil War n/a
Augusta 1763 Georgia Augusta, GA Established "Indian/White" boundaries n/a
Mobile 1783 Great Britain Mobile, AL Land Cession, Boundaries defined n/a
Mobile 1783 Spain Mobile, AL Trade and Alliance n/a
Charleston 1783 Great Britain Charleston, SC Trade and Amity n/a
Pensacola 1784 Spain Pensacola, FL Trade and Alliance n/a
Hopewell 1786 United States Hopwell, SC Southeastern Tribal Boundaries defined n/a
San Lorenzo 1795 Between Spain and United States San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain The treaty, without Choctaw participation, put Choctaw country under U.S. control n/a
Fort Adams 1801 United States Mississippi Territory Redefined Choctaw cession to England and permission for Natchez Trace 2,641,920 acres (10,691.5 km²)
Fort Confederation 1802 United States Mississippi Territory n/a 10,000 acres
Hoe Buckintoopa 1803 United States Choctaw Nation Small cession of Tombigbee River and redefined English treaty of 1765 853,760 acres (3,455.0 km²)
Mount Dexter 1805 United States Choctaw Nation Large cession from Natchez District to the Tombigbee Alabama River watershed 4,142,720 acres (16,765.0 km²)
Fort St. Stephens 1816 United States Fort Confederation Ceded all Choctaw land east of Tombigbee River 10,000 acres (40 km²)
Doak's Stand 1820 United States Natchez Trace, Choctaw Nation Exchanged cession in Mississippi for parcel in Arkansas and prepare the Choctaws to become citizens of the United States 5,169,788 acres (20,921.39 km²)
Washington City 1825 United States Washington, D.C. Exchanged Arkansas land for Oklahoma parcel 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km²)
Dancing Rabbit Creek 1830 United States Choctaw Nation Removal and granting U.S. citizenship 10,523,130 acres (42,585.6 km²)

[edit] See Also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Ferguson, Bob (2001). Treaties (HTML). Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  2. ^ Satz, Ronald [1986]. "The Mississippi Choctaw: From the Removal Treaty of the Federal Agency", in Samuel J. Wells and Roseanna Tuby: After Removal: The Choctaw in Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, 7. ISBN: 0878052895. 


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