Peter Chartier (16901759) (Anglicized version of Pierre Chartier, sometimes written Chartiere, Chartiers, Shartee or Shortive) was a

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...

r of mixed

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

parentage. Multilingual, he later became a leader and a band chief among the Pekowi Shawnee. As an early advocate for Native American civil rights, he joined other chiefs in opposing the sale and trade of alcohol in indigenous communities in the

Province of Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to W ...

. He first tried to limit the sale of rum in Shawnee communities but expanded that effort to other indigenous peoples. Because of conflict with the English provincial government, in 1745 he accepted a French commission and left Pennsylvania with his band. Beginning with more than 400 Pekowi Shawnee, he migrated over the next four years through parts of modern Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee. He and his people eventually resettled in Illinois Country, near a French colonial community. He and some of his warriors later fought on the side of the French and against the English during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. Chartier is memorialized in numerous place names, including communities ( Chartiers Township and

Chartiers (Pittsburgh) Chartiers (sometimes called Chartiers City) is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's West End. It has a zip code of 15204, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 (West Neighborhoods). The nei ...

),Donehoo, George P. ''A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania.'' Papamoa Press, 2019.
/ref>Chester Hale Sipe, "The Principal Indian Towns of Western Pennsylvania," ''Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine,'' v. 13, no. 2; April 1, 1930; pp. 104-122
/ref> rivers (including Chartiers Creek and Chartiers Run (Allegheny River tributary)) and school districts such as

Chartiers Valley School District Chartiers Valley School District is a suburban borough school district that serves an area southwest of Pittsburgh, including the Boroughs of Bridgeville and Heidelberg and Collier Township and Scott Township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, ...

Early life and family

He was born ''Pierre Chartier'', the son of a Shawnee woman and French colonist

Martin Chartier Martin Chartier (1655 – Apr 1718) was a French-Canadian explorer and trader, carpenter and glove maker. He lived much of his life amongst the Shawnee Native Americans in what is now the United States. Chartier accompanied Louis Jolliet on ...

(1655–1718). Martin Chartier was born in St-Jean-de-Montierneuf,

Poitiers Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Poitou-Charentes, France.Don Greene, ''Shawnee Heritage II: Selected Lineages of Notable Shawnee'' (Lulu.com: Fantasy ePublications, 2008), Lulu.com: Fantasy ePublications, 2008
pp. 44-45 and 70. He had migrated to

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

(New France) in 1667. At the age of 19, he had accompanied Louis Jolliet on his 1674 journey to the

Illinois Territory The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. Its ca ...

, where he met Sewatha Straight Tail (1660–1759),Review: Harriette Simpson Arnow, ''Seedtime on the Cumberland,'' Michigan State University Press. (2013)
/ref> a daughter of

Straight Tail Meaurroway Opessa Straight Tail Meaurroway Opessa (1630–1709), often referred to as Meaurroway, was Chief of the Pekowi, a subdivision of the Shawnee Native American tribe. He was also the Chief of the Turtle Clan, one of the most religious orders of the tribe. Bi ...

and his wife, of the Pekowi Shawnee. They were married in a Shawnee ceremony in 1675. Martin Chartier was part of La Salle's 1679-1680 expedition to Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. He assisted in the construction of Fort Miami and

Fort Crèvecoeur Fort Crevecoeur ( French: ''Fort Crèvecœur'') was the first public building erected by Europeans within the boundaries of the modern state of Illinois and the first fort built in the West by the French. It was founded on the east bank of the ...

. On 16 April 1680 he and six other men mutinied, looting and burning the fort before they fled. Chartier lived and traveled for the next several years with a group of Shawnee and

Susquehannock The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes were Iroquoian Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, ranging from its upper reaches in the southern p ...

Indians.Charles Augustus Hanna, ''The Wilderness Trail: Or, The Ventures and Adventures of the Pennsylvania Traders on the Allegheny Path, Volume 1,'' Putnam's sons, 1911
/ref> Pierre Chartier was born in 1690 at

French Lick French Lick is a town in French Lick Township, Orange County, Indiana. The population was 1,807 at the time of the 2010 census. In November 2006, the French Lick Resort Casino, the state's tenth casino in the modern legalized era, opened, drawing ...

on the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

in northeastern Tennessee, near the present-day site of

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, where his father ran a trading post. His mother gave Pierre the Shawnee name of ''Wacanackshina'', meaning "White one who reclines". Around 1697 his family moved to

Pequea Creek Pequea Creek (pronounced ''PECK-way'') is a tributary of the Susquehanna River that runs for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 8, 2011 from the eastern border of Lanc ...

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south central part of Pennsylvania. ...

.William Henry Egle, ''Historical Register: Notes and Queries, Biographical and Genealogical,'' Vol. 2, 1884; p. 254.
/ref> Washington Boro, Pennsylvania (5655881148)

Washington Boro, Pennsylvania (5655881148)

Pierre Chartier married his first cousin, ''Blanceneige''-''Wapakonee'' Opessa (1695-1737), daughter of

Opessa Straight Tail Opessa Straight Tail (), also known as Wopatha or Wapatha, was a Pekowi Shawnee Chief. He was the son of Straight Tail Meaurroway Opessa. He is best known for signing, on 23 April 1701, the "Articles of friendship and agreement between William P ...

and his wife, about 1710. They had three children together: François "Pale Croucher" (b. 1712), René "Pale Stalker" (b. 1720), and Anna (b. 1730).Noel Schutz, Don Greene, ''Shawnee Heritage I, Vol. 1: Shawnee Genealogy and Family History,'' Lulu.com, 2008
In 1717, Governor William Penn granted his father Martin a 300-acre tract of land along the

Conestoga River The Conestoga River, also referred to as Conestoga Creek, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through the cente ...

.Martin Chartier
/ref> (One source says the grant was for 500 acres.). Together the father and son established a trading post in

Conestoga Town Conestoga Town is an historic archaeological site memorializing the Native American tribal village which stood on the site from the late 17th into the mid-18th-century; it is located at what is now Manor Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ...

.C. Hale Sipe, ''The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania : an account of the Indian events, in Pennsylvania, of the French and Indian war, Pontiac's war, Lord Dunmore's war, the revolutionary war, and the Indian uprising from 1789 to 1795; tragedies of the Pennsylvania frontier based primarily on the Penna. archives and colonial records,'' Harrisburg, PA: The Telegraph Press, 1929.
/ref> In 1718 they moved to Dekanoagah on Yellow Breeches Creek near the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

. Martin Chartier died there in April of that year.Stephen Warren, ''Worlds the Shawnees Made: Migration and Violence in Early America,'' UNC Press Books, 2014
Chartier's father's funeral was attended by James Logan, a future

Mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Jim Kenney. History The first mayor of Philadelphia, ...

. Immediately afterward, Logan seized Martin Chartier's 250-acre estate, saying that Martin owed him a debt of 108 pounds, 19 shillings, and 3 and 3/4 pence.Francis Jennings, ''The Ambiguous Iroquois Empire: The Covenant Chain Confederation of Indian Tribes with English Colonies from Its Beginnings to the Lancaster Treaty of 1744,'' W. W. Norton & Company, 1984; p. 270.
Logan had Peter Chartier (as he was now called) and his family evicted, and also expelled a community of Conestoga who were living on the property. He later sold the property to Stephen Atkinson for 30 pounds.

Career as a trader

Logan permitted Chartier to maintain his trading post on the land as a tenant. Eventually Chartier opened another post at

Paxtang Paxtang is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,640. The borough is a suburb of Harrisburg and is one of the earliest colonial settlements in South Central Pennsylvania. History ...

on the

. (A 1736 map of Paxtang Manor by surveyor Edward Smout shows the home of Peter Chartier pelled "Peter Shottea"in what is today New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.William Albert Hunter, "Peter Chartier: Knave of the Wild Frontier; The adventures of the first private owner of the site of New Cumberland and a record of subsequent landowners to 1814." Paper presented before the Cumberland County Historical Society on February 16, 1973. New Cumberland, PA: Historical Papers of th
Cumberland County Historical Society
Vol 9, no. 4 (1973); Cumberland County National Bank and Trust Co.). Although Chartier eventually became a wealthy landowner, his experience with Logan embittered him. It was one of the reasons he turned against the Provincial Government. Iroquois western goods

On 3 November 1730 Peter Chartier was licensed by the English court in Lancaster County to trade with the Indians in south-western Pennsylvania. By 1732 Chartier, who was tri-lingual in Shawnee, French and English, had become well known as a negotiator between the Shawnee and the traders who came to sell them goods. The

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

trader Edmund Cartlidge wrote to

Governor Patrick Gordon A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

on 14 May 1732:

I find Peter Chartiere well inclined, and stands firm by the interest of Pennsylvania, and very ready on all accounts to do all the service he can. And as he has the Shawnise Tongue very perfect, and swell looked upon among them, he may do a great deal of good.

In September and October 1732, Chartier and Cartlidge served as interpreters during a conference in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

attended by Opakethwa and Opakeita, two Shawnee chiefs, with Thomas Penn, Governor Gordon, and the 72-member

Pennsylvania Provincial Council The Pennsylvania Provincial Council helped govern the Province of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1776. The provincial council was based on the English parliamentary system and namely the Upper House or House of Lords. From the Frame of Government of Penn ...

. Also with Chartier and the two chiefs was Quassenung, son of Shawnee chief

Kakowatcheky Kakowatcheky (c. 1670 - c. 1755 or 1758), also known as Kakowatchiky, Cachawatsiky, Kakowatchy, or Kakowatchey, was a Pekowi Shawnee chief believed to be among the first to bring Shawnee people into Pennsylvania. For about fifty years he and the ...

. The minutes of the conference record that both Opakethwa and Quassenung died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

during their visit to Philadelphia. NativeTowns_Pittsburgh

Conflict with the colonial government

Alcohol abuse and Native Americans in Pennsylvania

Beginning around 1675, traders had been selling rum in Shawnee communities. Several violent deaths were attributed to its influence.Peter C. Mancall, ''Deadly Medicine: Indians and Alcohol in Early America,'' Cornell University Press, 1997.
In October 1701 the Pennsylvania Assembly had prohibited the sale of rum to Indians. Because the law was poorly enforced in the frontier society, and the penalty was light—a fine of ten pounds and confiscation of any illegal supplies—traders continued to use rum to barter for furs. Traders soon began selling rum on credit in order to extort furs and skins and labor from the Shawnee. By the early 1700s the effects of

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of unhealthy alcohol drinking behaviors, ranging from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, in extreme cases resulting in health problems for individuals and large scale social problems such as alcohol-relat ...

were damaging Shawnee communities. Rum,

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

and other

distilled beverage Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard li ...

s had become important trade items, frequently served in diplomatic councils, treaty negotiations, and political transactions and had become part of Native American gift-giving rituals. The adverse effects of alcohol among Native Americans included an erosion of civility, an increase in violence and widespread

health problems A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that ar ...

. Alcohol made men less reliable hunters and allies, destabilized village economics, and contributed to a rise in poverty among Native Americans.A. Glynn Henderson, "The Lower Shawnee Town on Ohio: Sustaining Native Autonomy in an Indian "Republic"." In Craig Thompson Friend, ed., ''The Buzzel about Kentuck: Settling the Promised Land,'' University Press of Kentucky, 1999; pp. 25-56.
Native American leaders objected to the widespread use of alcohol. The minutes of the

Provincial Council of Pennsylvania The Pennsylvania Provincial Council helped govern the Province of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1776. The provincial council was based on the English parliamentary system and namely the Upper House or House of Lords. From the Frame of Government of Penn ...

for 16 May 1704 record a complaint submitted by Chief Ortiagh of the Conestoga Indians:

Great quantities of rum recontinually brought to their town, insomuch as they reruined by it, having nothing left but have laid out all, even their clothes, for rum, and may now, when threatened with war, be surprised by their enemies when beside themselves with drink, and so be utterly destroyed.

Attempts to control the sale of alcohol

On 24 April 1733 the Shawnee chiefs at "Allegania" sent a petition to Governor Gordon complaining that "There is yearly and monthly some new upstart of a trader without license, who comes amongst us and brings with him nothing but rum ..." and asking permission to destroy the casks of rum: "We therefore beg thou would take it into consideration, and send us two firm orders, one for Peter Chartier, the other for us, to break in pieces all the asksso brought." On 1 May 1734 several Shawnee chiefs dictated a letter to a trader, probably Jonah Davenport: it listed the names of fifteen traders who either had no license or had shown undesirable behavior, such as frequent disputes or violence. Chartier was among seven who were listed as in good standing. The chiefs would allow those men to bring up to 60 gallons of rum a year to their communities, as long as they had a valid license. Chartier was described as "one of us, and he is welcome to come as long as he pleases ... ndto bring what quantity f rumhe pleases ..." The letter concludes, "And for our parts, if we see any other traders than those we desire amongst us, we will stave their asksand seize their goods." The Shawnee believed that control over the sale of rum would reduce problems resulting from its abuse.

Prohibition of rum in Shawnee communities

By 1737 Chartier had become

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

of the Pekowi Turtle Clan, with whom he was living.C. Hale Sipe, ''The Indian Chiefs of Pennsylvania,'' Pennsylvania: Wennawoods Publishing, 1995.
/ref> He decided to prohibit the sale of rum in Shawnee communities in his area, and persuaded other chiefs to do the same. In a letter of 20 March 1738, addressed to Thomas Penn and Acting Governor James Logan, three Shawnee chiefs stated:

All our people being gathered together, we held a council together, to leave off drinking for the space of four years, and we all in general agreed to it, taking into consideration the ill consequences that attend it and what disturbance it makes, and that two of our brothers, the
Mingo The Mingo people are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans, primarily Seneca and Cayuga, who migrated west from New York to the Ohio Country in the mid-18th century, and their descendants. Some Susquehannock survivors also joined them, and ...
es, lost their lives in our towns by rum, and that we would live in peace and quietness and become another people ... The proposal of stopping the rum and all strong liquors was made to the rest
f the tribe F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...
in the winter, and they were all willing. As soon as it was concluded of, all the rum that was in the Towns was all staved and spilled, belonging both to Indians and white people, which in quantity consisted of about forty gallons, that was thrown in the street, and we have appointed four men to stave all the rum or strong liquors that is brought to the Towns hereafter, either by Indians or white men, during the four years. We would be glad if our brothers would send strict orders that we might prevent the rum coming to the hunting cabins or to the neighboring towns. We have sent wampum to the French, to the Five Nations, to the
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
... to tell them not to bring any rum to our towns, for we want none ... so we would be glad if our brothers would inform the traders not bring any for we are sorry, after they have brought it a great way, for them to have it broke, and when they're once warned they will take care.

Chartier and ninety-eight Shawnee signed a pledge that accompanied the letter: it agreed that all rum should be spilled, and four men should be appointed for every town to prevent rum or strong liquor being brought into their towns for four years. Governor Patrick Gordon sent Chartier a reprimand over this issue. Traders continued to take rum into Shawnee communities, including several traders who the Shawnees had specifically requested be barred from their territory. For several years the French government had been trying to win the support of indigenous communities as part of their competition with the British in North America. In 1740 the

Governor of New France The governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French nobleman, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Chatea ...

, Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois, invited Chartier and other Shawnee leaders to meet in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

to discuss relocating to Detroit (then under French control) and forming an alliance.Michael N. McConnell, ''A Country Between: The Upper Ohio Valley and Its Peoples, 1724-1774,'' Bison books History e-book project; U of Nebraska Press, 1992.
In a letter of 25 June 1740 Chartier declined, promising to visit Montreal the following year (a promise which he apparently did not keep). Tensions with the Pennsylvania government escalated in 1743. On 6 June three traders testified to the

that two other men had been killed, and that they had been told by the Shawnee to leave their territory or risk death. The governor regarded the Shawnee actions as provocation to violence. He wrote to the Pennsylvania Assembly alleging that Chartier's Shawnee ancestry resulted in his having a "brutish disposition ... and it is not to be doubted that a person of his savage temper will do us all the mischief he can." In 1743 Chartier moved to

Shannopin's Town Shannopin's Town, or Shannopintown, was an 18th-century Lenape (Delaware) town located within the site of modern-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny River, approximately two miles east from its junction with the Monongahela River. In ...

, a

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

village. He established a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

on the Allegheny River about twenty miles upstream from the forks of the Ohio near the mouth of Chartiers Run, at what became

Tarentum Tarentum may refer to: * Taranto, Apulia, Italy, on the site of the ancient Roman city of Tarentum (formerly the Greek colony of Taras) **See also History of Taranto * Tarentum (Campus Martius), also Terentum, an area in or on the edge of the Camp ...

. It was known as Chartier's Town at the time, and Chartier's Old Town after it was abandoned in 1745. Several Shawnee communities from the

Chalahgawtha Chalahgawtha (or, more commonly in English, Chillicothe) was the name of one of the five divisions (or bands) of the Shawnee, a Native American people, during the 18th century. It was also the name of the principal village of the division. The ot ...

, Pekowi and

Mekoche Mekoche (or Mequachake, Shawnee: ''mecoce'') was the name of one of the five divisions (or bands) of the Shawnee, a Native American people, during the 18th century. The other four divisions were the Chalahgawtha, Kispoko, Pekowi, and Hathawekela. ...

bands later resettled near Chartier's Town.

Chartier's flight from Pennsylvania, 1745

Conference Between the French and Indian Leaders Around a Ceremonial Fire by Vernier

Frustrated in his efforts to control the rum trade, Chartier decided to lead his band away from the area. In April 1745 Chartier accepted a military commission from the French.Franklin Ellis, Austin N. Hungerford, Boyd Crumrine. ''History of Washington County, Pennsylvania with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men.'' H. L. Everts & Co., Philadelphia, 1882
/ref> With some 400 Pekowi Shawnee, he left their settlement and headed southwest.Caudill, Courtney B., ""Mischiefs So Close to Each Other": External Relations of the Ohio Valley Shawnees, 1730-1775." Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539625770, May 1992
/ref> In July 1745 traders James Dunning (who had been banned by the Shawnee in 1734) and Peter Tostee appeared in Philadelphia. They claimed to authorities that they had been robbed on the frontier on 18 April:

... as they were returning up the
Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into ...
in canoes, from a trading trip, with a considerable quantity of furs and skins, Peter Chartier, late an Indian Trader, with about 400 Shawnese Indians, armed with guns, pistols and
cutlass A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard. It was a common naval weapon during the early Age of ...
es, suddenly took them prisoners, having, as he said, a captain's commission from the
King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...
; and plundered them of all their effects to the value of sixteen hundred pounds.

George Croghan, another trader, later testified that Chartier had set free a Black servant, possibly a slave, who was traveling with Dunning and Tostee. The Pennsylvania provincial council issued an indictment against "Peter Chartier of Lancaster County ... Labourer ho being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil ... falsely, traitorously, unlawfully and treasonably did

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

, imagine and intend open war, insurrection and rebellion against our said Lord the King." Chartier's landholdings in Pennsylvania, totaling some 600 acres, were seized and turned over to Thomas Lawrence, a business partner of Edward Shippen, III. Chartier led his Shawnee band to

Logstown "extensive flats" , settlement_type = Historic Native American village , image_skyline = Image:Logstown1.jpg , imagesize = 220px , image_alt = , image_map1 = Pennsylvania in United States ...

, where he attempted to persuade chief

to join him, but was refused. Chartier and his people proceeded to Lower Shawneetown on the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

, where they took refuge for a few weeks.Richard White, ''The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650–1815'' Cambridge studies in North American Indian history, Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Chartier and his people recognized that, by defying the Provincial Governor and accepting French

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

, they had to leave Pennsylvania, which was under British control. In June an anonymous Frenchman visited Lower Shawneetown, sent by

Paul-Joseph Le Moyne de Longueuil Paul-Joseph Le Moyne de Longueuil (September 17, 1701 – May 12, 1778) was a seigneur and colonial army officer in New France and governor of Trois-Rivières from 1757 to 1760. The son of Charles le Moyne de Longueuil, Baron de Longueuil and ...

, commandant at Detroit, to take charge of captives Chartier was presumed to have taken when he robbed traders Dunning and Tostee. Chartier had released the traders after robbing them, however. The Frenchman observed Chartier trying unsuccessfully to persuade the leaders of Lower Shawneetown to accept French alliance:

They held a council to...hear the reading of Longueuil's letter. After this Chartiers took the
rench The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau (Baden (Land), Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is ...
flag and planted it in front of one of the big chiefs of the village, saying to them: "This is what yours sends you, to continue to othe bidding of the general." They all took up arms, saying...they would have nothing to do with it...if the French could bring them back...it was only to make slaves of them...but Chartiers told them that he would not listen to them."Anonymous Diary of a Trip from Detroit to the Ohio River, May 22 - August 24, 1745," in ''PAPIERS CONTRECOEUR Le Conflit Angelo - Francias Sur L' Ohio De 1745 a 1756.'' English translation of documents in the Quebec Seminary by Donald Kent, 1952
/ref>

This Frenchman watched the Shawnee who had accompanied Chartier performing a two-day "Death Feast," a ceremony conducted before abandoning a village.

The Shawnees were accustomed to relocating. On 24 June 1745 the group left Lower Shawneetown, traveled down the Ohio River as far as the Great Miami River and in August proceeded south to Kentucky. Some historians state that he established a new community called Eskippakithiki,Lucien Beckner, "Eskippakithiki, The Last Indian Town in Kentucky," ''The Filson Club History Quarterly,'' Vol. 6, No. 4, Oct 1932. Louisville, KY, pp 355-382
/ref> while others believe that this is probably inaccurate, and that Chartier never actually lived there, although "a band of Shawnee may have established the village in 1750 or 1751 and it may have been abandoned in 1754 due to attacks by the Catawbas." According to Charles Augustus Hanna (1911):

Proceeding southwards along the
Catawba Trail The Catawba Trail is a trail developed and used by Native Americans that leads from the Carolinas northerly into Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Its several branches led from western Virginia, through West Virginia, Kentucky, and eastern Tennessee ...
, they established a town about a mile west of the oil spring on what was afterwards called Lulbegrud Creek, a northern tributary of the Red River of Kentucky, about twelve miles east of the site of the present town of Winchester, Clark County.

Fighting with

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

and Chickasaw and an outbreak of smallpox led them to move south to the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 ...

in 1748, where they founded the village of Chalakagay, near what is now Sylacauga, Alabama.

Black Hoof Catecahassa or Black Hoof (c. 1740-1831) was the head civil chief of the Shawnee Indians in the Ohio Country of what became the United States. A member of the Mekoche division of the Shawnees, Black Hoof became known as a fierce warrior during ...

(1740–1831), then a child, was with this band and recalled the journey in later years when he was a chief. In May 1749

Antoine Louis Rouillé Antoine-Louis Rouillé, comte de Jouy (, 7 June 1689 – 20 September 1761) was a French statesman and comte of Jouy-en-Josas. Born in Paris, the son of Marie-Louis-Paulin Rouillé and Marie-Angélique d'Aquin, he was in succession conseiller to ...

, the French

Foreign minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

, wrote: " hartier'sband, after ascending a part of the river of the Cherakis, decided to go and join the Alibamons, where it appeared to have behaved well."Thwaites, Reuben Gold. ''The French Regime in Wisconsin and the Northwest,'' Vol I 1634-1760. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1908
/ref> The Pennsylvania government continued to offer a

bounty Bounty or bounties commonly refers to: * Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing Bounty or bounties may also refer to: Geography * Bounty, Saskatchewan, a gh ...

for Chartier as late as 1747, when

James Adair James Adair may refer to: * James Makittrick Adair (1728–1802), Scottish doctor practising in Antigua *James Adair (historian) (1709–1783), Irish historian of the American Indians * James Adair (serjeant-at-law) (c. 1743–1798), English Whig M ...

tried to catch him in South Carolina. Adair later wrote:

I headed a company of the cheerful, brave Chickasaw, with the eagles' tails, to the camp of the Shawano Indians, to apprehend one Peter Shartie (a Frenchman), who, ...had decoyed a large body of the Shawano from the English to the French interest. But, fearing the consequences he went round an hundred miles toward the Cheerake nation...and thereby evaded the danger.

Visit to Detroit, 1747

Chartier appeared in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

in 1747 to meet with Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière and explain why his Shawnee band did not move to Detroit. (Records are unclear and the Chartier at the meeting may have been one of his sons.) The French had hoped to lure large numbers of Shawnee and other tribes away from British influence, but Chartier,

Meshemethequater Meshemethequater (1690 or 1691–1758) also known as Big Hominy, Great Huminy, Misemeathaquatha, Missemediqueety, or Big Hannoana was a Pekowi Shawnee chief from western Pennsylvania. Although he was a respected warrior, he is best known for parti ...

, and

Neucheconeh Neucheconeh (Floruit, fl. 1732–1748), also known as Newcheconner, Nocheknonee, Neucheconner, Neucheconno, Neucheconer, Nowchekano, Nawchikana, Neuchconna, Nuckegunnah, Neuchyconer or Nechikonner was a Pekowi Shawnee chief from western Pennsylvani ...

were the only Shawnee leaders to accept French patronage. His band preferred to settle on the

Wabash River The Wabash River ( French: Ouabache) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana in the United States. It flows fro ...

, which is where they had been living when Martin Chartier first encountered them in 1674. The French expected that, because of his French ancestry, Chartier would be inclined to bring his people into alliance with the French. Chartier remained beyond either French or English dominance, consistent with Shawnee values of autonomy. After leaving Detroit, Chartier visited

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

, a French settlement on the Wabash.Dunbar Rowland, Albert Godfrey Sanders, Patricia Kay, (eds.) ''Mississippi Provincial Archives: French Dominion, Vol. 5. 1749-1763,'' Mississippi. Dept. of Archives and History, LSU Press, 1984.

Division of Chartier's people, 1748

Chartier's Shawnee band split several times; some remained in Lower Shawneetown. In the summer of 1748 more than a hundred, led by Chartier's cousin

, returned to Pennsylvania. Chartier's defection to the French had caused much concern among the British authorities as the Provincial government feared that other Shawnee and possibly other tribes would become French allies.Gordon Calloway, ''The Shawnees and the War for America,'' The Penguin library of American Indian history; Penguin, 2007.
In July the

appointed a commission to meet with the Shawnee who had returned, and instructed them:

As to the Shawonese you are to enquire very exactly after their conduct since the commencement of the War, and what lengths they went in favor of Peter Chartier; where he is; and what he has been doing all this time; and be careful that these people acknowledge their fault in plain terms, and promise never to be guilty of any behaviour again that may give such reason to suspect their fidelity.

In council with

Scarouady Scarouady (also spelled Scarowady, Scarrouady, Scaroyady, Scarujade, Scaiohady, Skaronyade, Scaronage, Scruniyatha, Seruniyattha, or Skaruntia) was an Oneida tribe, Oneida leader at Logstown. He was sometimes referred to as Monacatuatha (also rend ...

on 20 July, Meshemethequater submitted an apology for having joined with Chartier. In a letter to Conrad Weiser dated 23 June 1748 Anthony Palmer, President of the Pennsylvania Provincial Council, said, "...they relented, made acknowledgment to the Government of their error in being seduced by Peter Chartier, and prayed they might be permitted to return to their old Town."

Resettlement in Illinois

Chartier and about 270 Shawnee left Alabama and moved to French Lick on the

in Tennessee, Chartier's birthplace. They stayed there until fighting with the Chickasaw forced them to leave. According to Lyman C. Draper, the band, then numbering about 190,

...made their way down Cumberland River, the women, children, aged and disabled men, in canoes, and the warriors as a guard along shore; intending to rejoin their brethren, who were now located on the Ohio, chiefly at the Lower Shawanoe Town, at the mouth of the Scioto; but when they entered the Ohio, the heavy spring flood was rolling down, against which their progress was so slow and tedious, that they stopped a few miles below the mouth of the Wabash, at the present locality of Old Shawneetown, Illinois. Remaining there awhile, the French Traders and Kaskaskia Indians invited them to take up their abode at Kaskaskia.

In 1750, however, tensions developed between the Shawnee and the established tribes, the Illinois Confederation, made up of the Piankashaw,

Kickapoo Kickapoo may refer to: People * Kickapoo people, a Native American nation ** Kickapoo language, spoken by that people ** Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas, a federally recognized tribe of Kickapoo people ** Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally recog ...

and the

Mascoutin The Mascouten (also ''Mascoutin'', ''Mathkoutench'', ''Muscoden,'' or ''Musketoon'') were a tribe of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans located in the Midwest. They are believed to have dwelt on both sides of the Mississippi River, adjacent to ...

peoples. Fighting ensued until Chartier signed a treaty brokered by the

Marquis de Vaudreuil The Marquis de Vaudreuil may refer to: *Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (1643–1702), governor of Montréal then of New France * Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (1698–1778), last governor-general of New France * Louis-Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis of ...

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

on 24 June 1750. Chartier encouraged Vaudreuil to consider the Shawnee a unified nation (although they were quite decentralized). He reaffirmed Shawnee loyalty to the French: " s entire nation was entirely devoted to us he French" the Marquis later wrote. " is well to show this nation certain considerations in view of the fact that it has always been strongly attached to us." This was significant as the French tried to garner Native American loyalty in preparation for war.

Participation in the French and Indian War

The French and Indian War was the front in North America of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

between Britain and France. In June 1754 Chartier, his Shawnee warriors, and his two sons, François and René were present when Captain Joseph Coulon de Jumonville was killed at the Battle of Jumonville Glen. In July 1754 he and his sons participated in the French victory over

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

at the

Battle of Fort Necessity The Battle of Fort Necessity, also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows, took place on July 3, 1754, in what is now Farmington in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The engagement, along with the May 28 skirmish known as the Battle of Jumonville ...

. Both of Chartier's sons fought against the British in numerous engagements during the French and Indian War. René may have been killed with Shawnee chief Cornstalk when he was detained at Fort Randolph in November 1777.

Death

Peter Chartier was last seen in 1758 in a village on the

. His band was referred to in a 1760 letter from Governor-General Vaudreuil-Cavagnial:

"In the last days of the month of June of
759 __NOTOC__ Year 759 ( DCCLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 759 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
five Chaouoinons hawneesof hartiers band came...to ask him for a piece of ground, as theirs was not good. M. de MacCarty sent some provisions to those Indians, whom he placed near
Fort Massac Fort Massac (or Fort Massiac) was a French colonial and early National-era fort on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois, United States. Its site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. History The Spanish explorer ...
. They were more useful and less dangerous there than when collected together at Sonyote
ower Shawneetown Ower is a hamlet in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest towns are Totton – approximately to the southeast, and Romsey – around to the north-east. Ower lies on the A36 road northwest of Totton. It lies mostly ...

There is some evidence that Chartier (and his mother Sewatha Straight Tail) died in an outbreak of smallpox that had originated in 1757 in

. It spread through Native American communities across North America.Russell Thornton, ''American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History Since 1492,'' Volume 186 of Civilization of the American Indian series; University of Oklahoma Press, 1987.

Legacy

Historian Richard White characterizes Chartier's rise to power as unique among the Shawnee:

Chartier was a political
chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
whose changes in coloring reflected opportunities rather than convictions, but it is the scope of his transformation that is most revealing. Chartier's switch from a British to a French
partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...
is perhaps less significant than his metamorphosis from ''
métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...
'' trader to Shawnee factional leader. Originally he was an important but marginal political figure, a man who acted through the chiefs, tying them to him through debts or gifts. Eventually he became a man who challenged chiefs, and ultimately, he acted like a chief himself...By 1750 he had legitimized his position.

Chartier's role as interpreter and negotiator

Early in his career, Peter Chartier served as a capable intermediary. He bridged the cultural gap between the English and the Native American tribes of the Ohio Valley and Western Pennsylvania by acting as an interpreter and negotiator who played a crucial part in maintaining good relations with local tribes, establishing military alliances, and promoting trade. Many other

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

traders and explorers of mixed Native American-French ancestry also served in this role, along with Europeans who had assimilated into Native American communities. They typically spoke English, French and (sometimes several) Native American languages fluently, and understood both European and Native American customs and values. The best-known of these are

Louis-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire Louis-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire (1670June 29, 1739), also known as Sononchiez by the Iroquois, was a French army officer and interpreter for New France who worked with the Iroquois tribes during the French and Indian Wars in the early 18th centu ...

and his son

Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire (), also known as Nitachinon by the Iroquois, was a French army officer and interpreter in New France who established Fort Machault in the 18th century. During his career, he largely served as a diplomat with t ...

; several members of the

Montour family The Montour family was a family of Native-American and French descent which was prominent in colonial New York and Pennsylvania before and during the American Revolution. Because of the Iroquois practice of reckoning descent through the female line ...

, including Madam Montour, her son Andrew Montour and grandson Nicholas Montour; and

Augustin Langlade Augustin Mouet, sieur de Langlade, (with a number of name variations) (1703 – 1771), was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. He was the son of Pierre Mouet, sieur de Moras. Augustin obtained a fur trading license at Michilimackinac in 1728. Th ...

and his son Charles Michel de Langlade.

Regulation of the sale of alcohol in Native American communities

Chartier's decision to join the French and to lead his community out of Pennsylvania sparked fears that Native Americans would attack British settlements. As a result, the Pennsylvania provincial government finally took measures to comply with the repeated requests of Shawnee leaders to control the practice of trading rum for furs. On 7 May 1745, shortly after Chartier had announced his

defection In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

to the French,

Lieutenant-Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

George Thomas issued a proclamation stating:

Whereas frequent complaints have been made by the Indians, and of late earnestly renewed, that divers gross irregularities and abuses have been committed in the Indian countries, and that many of their people have been cheated and inflamed to such a degree by means of strong liquors being brought and sold amongst them contrary to the said laws, as to endanger their own lives and the lives of others ... I do hereby strictly enjoin the
magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
s of the several counties within this province, and especially those of the
county of Lancaster Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a Historic counties of England, historic county, Ceremonial County, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significa ...
, where these abuses are mostly carried on, to be very vigilant.

Thomas strengthened the law against the sale of rum in indigenous communities, doubled the fine to twenty pounds, required a

surety bond In finance, a surety , surety bond or guaranty involves a promise by one party to assume responsibility for the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. Usually, a surety bond or surety is a promise by a surety or guarantor to pay ...

of one hundred pounds from anyone applying for a license to trade furs with Native Americans, required that the goods of traders traveling to indigenous communities be searched, and gave

...full power and authority to any Indian or Indians to whom rum or other strong liquors shall be hereafter offered for sale contrary to the said laws, to stave and break to pieces the cask or vessel in which such rum or other strong liquor is contained.Samuel Hazard, ed. ''Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania: From the Organization to the Termination of the Proprietary Government, Mar. 10, 1683-Sept. 27, 1775,'' Vol 4 of Colonial Records of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Provincial Council, Pennsylvania Committee of Safety; J. Severns, 1851.
/ref>

Although the proclamation was more strongly worded than previous ones, it was not strictly enforced. Alcohol abuse continued to be an increasing problem in indigenous communities.

Native American self-determination

Historian Stephen Warren describes Peter Chartier as an "audacious example of independence hichinfuriated Englishmen and Frenchmen alike," saying that Chartier

...encouraged
Pan-Indian Pan-Indianism is a philosophical and political approach promoting unity, and to some extent cultural homogenization, among different Indigenous groups in the Americas regardless of tribal distinctions and cultural differences. This approach to ...
expressions of unity ... He discovered valuable lessons in movement and reinvention and ... turned Shawnee histories of migration and violence toward adoption of a new racial consciousness for Indian peoples in the eastern half of North America.

Warren argues that both Peter and his father Martin Chartier influenced Shawnee attitudes toward their neighbors and rivals, both European and Native American:

The Shawnees ... modeled themselves after men such as Martin and Peter Chartier, who moved between regions and empires in a single lifetime. Like the Chartiers, the Shawnees refused to acquiesce to French, English, or Iroquois "overlords." Frustratingly independent, Shawnee migrants made deliberate choices based on the realities of Indian slavery, intertribal warfare, and access to European trade goods.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chartier, Peter 1690 births 1759 deaths Alcohol abuse in the United States American colonial people American people of French descent Métis fur traders Native American history of Illinois Native American history of Ohio Native American history of Pennsylvania Native American temperance activists People from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania People from Tennessee Shawnee people Native American people from Pennsylvania Interpreters