Thomas Loraine McKenney (21 March 1785 – 19 February 1859) was a
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
official who served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1824–1830.
McKenny was born on March 21, 1785, in
Hopewell, Maryland. He was the oldest of five boys, and was raised and received his education at
Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County.
History
Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English col ...
. McKenney was a
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 ...
, which influenced his approach to interactions with Native Americans.
After the abolition of the
U.S. Indian Trade program in 1822, then
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina who held many important positions including being the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He ...
created a position without legislation within the
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* Dep ...
entitled Superintendent of Indian Affairs (this later became part of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...
). McKenney was appointed to this position, and held it from 1824-1830. McKenney was an advocate of the American Indian “civilization” program, becoming an avid promoter of removal of Indian bands and tribes to west of the Mississippi River. He liked to be referred to as "Colonel" by those around him.
Superintendent of Indian Trade/Superintendent of Indian Affairs
McKenney was the Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. He oversaw trading houses that created goods that were traded for furs. After the abolition of the U.S. Indian Trade program in 1822, Secretary of War
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina who held many important positions including being the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He ...
created a position legislation within the War Department entitled Superintendent of Indian Affairs (this evolved to the Bureau of Indian Affairs). He appointed McKenney to this position, who served from 1824-1830. McKenney was an advocate of the American Indian “civilization” program, becoming an avid promoter of Indian removal west of the Mississippi River. After being elected to office, President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, who favored Indian removal, dismissed McKenney from his position in 1830 when Jackson disagreed with his opinion that “the Indian was, in his intellectual and moral structure, our equal.” (But it was also typical of new administrations to make their own political appointments.)
McKenney had helped support
John C. Calhoun's bid for president in 1824; Calhoun rewarded him with a patronage position after being appointed as Secretary of War. While serving as Superintendent of Trade and Indian Affairs, McKenney helped gain passage of the Indian Civilization Act of 1819. Eleven years later, he helped draft and gain passage of the
Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...
.
But McKenney also denounced the United States Government for failing to keep white people out of territory belonging to the
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
as part of a treaty. President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
dismissed McKenney from his position in 1830 when Jackson disagreed with his opinion that “the Indian was, in his intellectual and moral structure, our equal.”
History of the Indian Tribes of North America
McKenney worked with James Hall along with Charles Bird King to create and publish the three volumes of the ''
History of the Indian Tribes of North America
The ''History of the Indian Tribes of North America'' is a three-volume collection of Native American biographies and accompanying lithograph portraits, originally published in the United States from 1836 to 1844 by Thomas McKenney and James Hal ...
,'' which were released from the years of (1836-1844). In 1821-1822 multiple delegates of various tribes visited Washington and while they were there McKenney took them to
Charles Bird King
Charles Bird King (September 26, 1785 – March 18, 1862) was an American portrait artist, best known for his portrayals of significant Native American leaders and tribesmen. His style incorporated Dutch influences, which can be seen most promi ...
who would paint their likeness. McKenney kept this going while working at the Department of War until he was fired, he then moved to Philadelphia to better work on the project. Once in Philadelphia the portraits were copied, in the end there were around 150 portraits.
Gallery of the History of the Indian Tribes of North America
File:A-na-cam-e-gish-ca.jpg, A-na-cam-e-gish-ca, A Chippeway (Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
) chief
File:Amiskquew.jpg, Amiskquew, A Menominee
The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...
warrior
File:Caa-Tou-See, An Ojibway. (10999666355).jpg, Caa-tou-see, An Ojibwe chief
File:Jack-O-Pa.jpg, Jack-O-Pa
Zhaagobe (c.1794), also known as Jack-O-Pa or Shagobai, was a St. Croix Chippewa Indians, St. Croix Ojibwe chief of the Snake River (St. Croix River tributary), Snake River band. He signed several Ojibwe, Chippewa treaties with the United States, ...
, An Ojibwe chief
File:Kee-shes-wa.jpg, Kee-shes-wa, A Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
chief
File:LittleCrow.jpg, Little Crow, A Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...
chief
File:Menawa high resolution.jpg, Menawa
Menawa, first called ''Hothlepoya'' (c. 1765 – c. 1836-40), was a Muscogee (Creek) chief and military leader. He was of mixed race, with a Creek mother and a fur trader father of mostly Scots ancestry. As the Creek had a matrilineal syst ...
, A Muscogee
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands[Choctaw
The Choctaw (in the Choctaw language, Chahta) are a Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands, in what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Their Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choctaw people are ...]
chief Pushmataha
Pushmataha (c. 1764 – December 24, 1824; also spelled Pooshawattaha, Pooshamallaha, or Poosha Matthaw), the "Indian General", was one of the three regional chiefs of the major divisions of the Choctaw in the 19th century. Many historians cons ...
, 1824
File:Red Jacket 2.jpg, Red Jacket
Red Jacket (known as ''Otetiani'' in his youth and ''Sagoyewatha'' eeper Awake''Sa-go-ye-wa-tha'' as an adult because of his oratorical skills) (c. 1750–January 20, 1830) was a Seneca people, Seneca orator and Tribal chief, chief of the Wolf ...
, Seneca
Seneca may refer to:
People and language
* Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname
* Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America
** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people
Places Extrat ...
orator and 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 Wolf clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...
File:Major ridge.jpg, Cherokee Major Ridge
Major Ridge, The Ridge (and sometimes Pathkiller II) (c. 1771 – 22 June 1839) (also known as ''Nunnehidihi'', and later ''Ganundalegi'') was a Cherokee leader, a member of the tribal council, and a lawmaker. As a warrior, he fought in the C ...
, 1834
File:Title- Se-Quo-Yah. (10999390925).jpg, Sequoyah
Sequoyah (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ᏍᏏᏉᏯ, ''Ssiquoya'', or ᏎᏉᏯ, ''Se-quo-ya''; 1770 – August 1843), also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American polymath of the Ch ...
or George Guess, creator of the Cherokee alphabet
The Cherokee syllabary is a syllabary invented by Sequoyah in the late 1810s and early 1820s to write the Cherokee language. His creation of the syllabary is particularly noteworthy as he was illiterate until the creation of his syllabary. He f ...
File:Tahchee.jpg, Tah-Chee (Dutch), A Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
chief
File:Tshusick. An Ojibway Woman. (15683664960).jpg, Tshusick, An Ojibwe woman
File:Wapella.jpg, Chief Wapello; "Wa-pel-la the Prince, Musquakee Chief"
Death and legacy
After McKenny was fired he tried and failed to be appointed to the Whig administration of then president Zachary Taylor. McKenny would die in a Brooklyn boardinghouse alone with no wife or son, his family had already passed away by that point. He wrote the two volume work, ''History of the Indian Tribes of North America, With Biographical Sketches and Anecdotes of the Principal Chiefs''.
McKenney died in New York City in February 1859.
References
* McKenney, Thomas L. ''Memoirs, Official and Personal: Thomas L. McKenney.
846
__NOTOC__
Year 846 ( DCCCXLVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* Byzantine–Bulgarian War: The Bulgarians violate the peace treaty ...
With Introduction by Herman J. Viola''. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1973.
* Viola, Herman J. ''Thomas L. McKenney: Architect of America’s Early Indian Policy: 1816-1830''. Chicago: The Swallow Press Inc., Sage Books. 1974.
Bibliography
* Drinnon, Richard. “Facing West.” Google Books. Google. Accessed April 20, 2021
https://books.google.com/books?id=wrexPiqKo58C&q=Thomas%2BL.%2BMcKenney#v=snippet&q=Thomas%20L.%20McKenney&f=false.* Fletcher, Carlton. “Home.” Glover Park History. Accessed April 20, 2021
https://gloverparkhistory.com/estates-and-farms/weston/thomas-l-mckenney-and-the-indians/.* Viola, Herman J. “Diplomats in Buckskins.” Google Books. Google. Accessed April 20, 2021
https://books.google.com/books?id=FeGEhXY-4aEC&q=KENNY#v=onepage&q=mckenney&f=false.* Viola, Herman J. “McKenney, Thomas Loraine (1785-1859), Government Official.” American National Biography. Oxford University Press. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-0300320;jsessionid=7986B9412E2F498488536AE7EC415489.
* McKenney, Thomas L. Digital History. Accessed May 7, 2021. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=3&psid=679.
See also
*
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and Al ...
*
History of the Indian Tribes of North America
The ''History of the Indian Tribes of North America'' is a three-volume collection of Native American biographies and accompanying lithograph portraits, originally published in the United States from 1836 to 1844 by Thomas McKenney and James Hal ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenney, Thomas L.
1785 births
1858 deaths
American Quakers
People from Kent County, Maryland
United States Department of War officials
19th-century Quakers