Treaty of Washington, with Menominee (1831)
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The ''Treaty of Washington (1831)'' was a
treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations An international organization or international o ...
between the
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 ...
(an American Indian tribe) and the United States Government. The treaty was initially made and signed on February 8, 1831 in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
In the treaty, the Menominee ceded about of their land in
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
primarily adjacent to
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. During the ratification of the treaty in June 1832, the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
modified the treaty to provide additional land for the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe. The Menominee Tribe did not agree to the changes, and the treaty was renegotiated on October 27, 1832 to resolve the differences. These two treaties are commonly referred to singularly as the Treaty of Washington.


Initial treaty

The treaty was first brought about by Colonel Samuel C. Stambaugh, the
Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...
at Green Bay. The principal Menonminee Chief was Oshkosh, who did not attend the treaty negotiation due to his belief that without his presence, the treaty would not be binding on the tribe. The head chief that attended the talks for the tribe was Iometah, who was shown signing the treaty as Aya-mah-taw, while the
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 ...
was represented by
John H. Eaton John Henry Eaton (June 18, 1790November 17, 1856) was an American politician and diplomat from Tennessee who served as U.S. Senator and as Secretary of War in the administration of Andrew Jackson. He was 28 years, 4 months, and 29 days old when ...
, the
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 ...
. The negotiations concluded on February 8, 1831, ceding to the United States in return for clothing, provisions and annuities totaling approximately US$92,000. In addition, approximately were to be transferred to the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe for which the Menominee were to be paid an additional US$20,000.Treaty of Washington, 1831, In the winter of 1831, a group of Indians including Oneida chief
Daniel Bread Daniel Bread (March 27, 1800July 23, 1873) was an Oneida political and cultural leader who helped the Oneida preserve their culture while adapting to new realities during their transplantation from New York to Wisconsin (known then as Michigan ...
travelled to Washington to protest the treaty, which had bypassed the interests of the
Oneida people The Oneida people (autonym: Onʌyoteˀa·ká·, Onyota'a:ka, ''the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone'', ''Thwahrù·nęʼ'' in Tuscarora) are a Native American tribe and First Nations band. They are one of the five founding nat ...
. 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 ...
agreed to adjust the assignment of lands to the Oneida in response.


Ratification and second treaty

In June 1832 the treaty was ratified by the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
. The Stockbridge-Munsee tribe was unhappy with the treaty as it was written, and had lobbied the
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senators to amend the treaty. The Senate did so, and George B. Porter, the
Governor 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 ...
of the
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was directed to gain the consent of the Menominee tribe to the changes. The tribe refused to agree to the changes, and a subsequent treaty was negotiated, being signed on October 27, 1832. After the modifications were negotiated and agreed to by both tribes and the United States, the treaty was again submitted to the Senate and ratified in 1833. Collectively both treaties are referred to as the singular "Treaty of Washington."Treaty of Washington, 1832,


See also

*
Treaty of the Cedars The Treaty of the Cedars was concluded on the Fox River, west of what is today the village of Little Chute, Wisconsin, on September 3, 1836. Under the treaty, the Menominee Indian nation ceded to the United States about of land for $700,000. The ...
(1836)


References

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External links


Ratified Indian Treaty 161: Menominee - Washington, DC, February 8, 1831
''National Archives''
Printed Copy of the February 8, 1831, Treaty Between the United States and the Menominee Indians
''National Archives''
Supplementary Articles to the February 8, 1831 Treaty Between the United States and the Menominee Indians Signed at Washington, DC
''National Archives''
Treaty Between the United States and the Menominee Indians Signed at Washington, DC, with Signed Note Regarding First Article
''National Archives'' Menominee people
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
Native American history of Wisconsin 1831 treaties 1831 in the United States 1830s in Wisconsin Territory February 1831 events