Ohio Opens Up the West

Ohio was considered “the West” during Colonial times. As the east coast grew and vibrant cities started popping up along naval ports, adventurous frontiersmen started trekking westward into the ‘bush’.  Ohio Country was prized by English governors and settlers alike, but it was home to Native Americans that were not willing to pack their tribes and leave. After the American Colonies gained their Independence from England settlers rushed into the new Ohio Territory and the struggles between the Native Americans and U.S. frontiersmen grew.

The culmination of fighting between various Native American tribes and the U.S. Army came in 1794 when General Anthony Wayne defeated the Shawnee and Blue Jacket at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. For nearly eight months leaders from the various tribes and the American settlers negotiated a treaty. This treaty became known as The Treaty of Greenville. Signed on August 3, 1795 at Fort Greenville (later to become the City of Greenville, OH) the leaders of the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Miami, Eel river, Wea, Chippewa, Pattawatimi, Kickapoo, Piankashaw, and the Kaskaskia formally signed the treaty with General Anthony Wayne as the America representative. For the Native American Tribes the treaty meant ceding claim to land east of the Cuyahoga River and to Fort Laurens located in Tuscarawas County. In return the United States offered payment and annuities in the form of goods and ceded lands north and west of the treaty line. The treaty marked the end of the Indian Wars in Ohio Country and opened up Ohio for settlement and established the official western boarder of the United States.

Today visitors can see the Ohio Historical Marker located in front of the City Hall as well as see dramatizations of Blue Jacket and Tecumseh. Murals of the treaty have been painted on the side of downtown buildings and visitors can learn more about the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the Greenville Treaty at the Darke County Garst Museum.    

 

Sources for this Blog:

The Ohio Historical Society: www.ohiohistory.org

Remarkable Ohio: www.remarkableohio.org

The Garst Museum: www.garstmuseum.org