A Glimpse at History

The country purchased by the Five Indian Nations was known as the Indian Teritory and comprised of the land now occupied by the state of Oklahoma, with the exception of the extreme northeastern corner now included in Ottawa County. When they arrived in their new home, each of the Five Nations organized their own governments and they were modeled after the governments they had become familiar with. The governments of the Southern States from which they came. The capitals were established for each nation: the Cherokee, at Tahlequah; the Choctaw, at Tushkahomma; Chickasaw, at Tishomingo; Creek, at Okmulgee; Seminole, at Wewoka. They also established churches, schools and towns. There was land placed in cultivation and land for roaming cattle.

Much hardship and suffering was endured by these Indian Nations at the beginning of their struggle to establish themselves in their new country, but they felt there were great possibilities and they eventually developed a great Indian commonwealth that arouse out of the wilderness.

One of the important provisions made in the Indian Treaties was that forts would be established by the United States in the Indian territory. This was done so that aggression by the Western Plains Indians against these five nations could be minimized because they were on the Western Plains Indians lands. It was also to help keep seperated the Indians and any settlers going west. The forts established were Fort Smith, Fort Gibson, Fort Towson, Fort Wayne, Fort Washita, Fort Arbuckle and Fort Cobb by 1859.

By 1861 when the War drums began to beat due to the Southern States seceeding from the Union, all forts in the Indian Territory were abandoned.

This led to a whole new set of problems which we will visit in the next entry. Have a great day and I hope you are enjoying this series. Savannah!!!!!!!!

 

 

Filed under: Civil War Blogs by Savannah Meade