The Second Treaty of Fort Wayne (1809)

The year 1809 started badly of William Henry Harrison. The western region of the Territory of Indiana, tired of Harrison's high-handedness in the political arena, petitioned the federal government to be separated from Indiana; this meant that Indiana would not become a state in 1810, and that Harrison's political career was essentially stalled. The territorial legislature was becoming more independent, and harder for Harrison to control, as well.  For Tenskwatawa, on the other hand, 1809 started out well. His nemesis William Wells was dismissed as Indian agent at Fort Wayne, and his negotiations the previous summer and fall with Harrison had resulted in his gaining a large share of the stipend that had been exclusively the domain of Black Hoof at Wapakoneta. In 1809, after the Quaker William Kirk, was forced to leave the settlement at Wapakoneta, Black Hoof saw very little of the stipend promised the Shawnees.

I. Settlement at Prophetstown

A. Harsh Winter of 1808-1809--the winter of 1808-1809 was particularly harsh; William Well reported that snow 3 feet deep covered most everything, and that natives had been forced to eat nearly all of their cows and horses, because they could not hunt, and that they had consumed almost all of their corn from the fall harvest.

1. Continued boycott--Jefferson's boycott, begun the previous year, had failed to effect British trade much at all--except that it made prices for goods in the interior of the United States much more costly, and made it very difficult for both whites and Native Americans to obtain these trade goods

B. Sources of information--ironically, although Prophetstown was closer to Vincennes than Greenville was, gathering reliable information about the settlement at Prophetstown was more difficult for Harrison--and for historians. In part, this was due to Prophetstown being ensconced in a region where Native Americans were more sympathetic to his message--Tenskwatawa did not have to battle with an influential accommodationist chief like Black Hoof feeding information to white government officials. But it does seem that falling out of favor with the Ojibwas, the Ottowas, and the Pottowatomies also effected Tenskwatawa's influence adversely, and therefore our information about him and his settlement.

1. Threat of Indian attack--Michigan territorial governor William Hull reported that the three nations--Ojibwas, Ottawas, and Pottowatomies--were planning a coordinated attack on Prophetstown in retaliation for the events that occurred there in the fall and early winter of 1808.



Harrison was receiving conflicting information, and sending conflicting reports back to Washington. This made the federal government leery of negotiating further land concessions from Native peoples during this part of the year--another frustration for Harrison, as he saw these negotiations as a way to firm up support by whites in the territory, and a way to attract more white settlers to the region.

C. Treaty of Fort Wayne (1809)--hoping to take advantage of what he perceived to be the Prophet's diminishing influence, and to regain political momentum, Harrison negotiated a new treaty in the fall of 1809--despite constant appeals from the Prophet warning against such a move. Harrison also had to overcome a great resistance among many other native peoples, as well. Miami leader Little Turtle, a prominent accommodationist, was losing influence. A rival Miami chief, who we know as Owl, insisted that the Indians should receive $2 per acre for any land concession--the going price at resale. After strenuous negotiations, hundreds of gallons of whisky, and a promise that the Miami would receive twice what other native peoples received, Harrison was able to secure signatures of a handful of minor chiefs to this treaty.


D. Native Reaction--not surprisingly (to us, anyway--Harrison seems somewhat surprised), Native Americans returned to the message of the Prophet, and the population at Prophetstown again began growing.

E. Harrison's Appeal to Tenskwatawa--Harrison reacted against what he saw was the rehabilitation of Tenskwatawa by attempting to downplay the conflict--but emphasizing the numerical superiority of US forces.

F. Tecumseh Comes to Vincennes--in what I interpret as a serious change to negotiating strategy, Tecumseh travelled with a party of Native Americans to attempt to negotiate with Harrison.