
Tecumseh drawing Save

Description: Portrait of the Shawnee military and political leader Tecumseh, ca. 1800-1813.
Tecumseh (1768-1813) began to establish a reputation as a leader during the Indian Wars of the late 18th century, when he fought in several minor skirmishes and the Battle of Fallen Timbers. He refused to sign the Treaty of Greeneville, correctly fearing that it would increase white settlement and eventually cost American Indians their land. He argued that all American Indians held land in common and that one tribe could not cede the land to the U. S. government. During the War of 1812, Tecumseh supported the British, in hopes of regaining lost land. He was killed during the Battle of the Thames in 1813.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00198
Subjects: Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief, 1768-1813; American Indian history; American Indian tribal leaders
Image ID: AL00198
Subjects: Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief, 1768-1813; American Indian history; American Indian tribal leaders
Tecumseh drawing Save

Description: Full-length portrait of Tecumseh, drawn by F. Brigden, ca. 1790-1799.
Tecumseh (1768-1813) began to establish a reputation as a leader during the Indian Wars of the late 18th century, when he fought in several minor skirmishes and the Battle of Fallen Timbers. He refused to sign the Treaty of Greeneville, correctly fearing that it would increase white settlement and eventually cost American Indians their land. He argued that all American Indians held land in common and that one tribe could not cede the land to the U. S. government. During the War of 1812, Tecumseh supported the British, in hopes of regaining lost land. He was killed during the Battle of the Thames in 1813.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00241
Subjects: Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief, 1768-1813; American Indian history; American Indian tribal leaders
Image ID: AL00241
Subjects: Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief, 1768-1813; American Indian history; American Indian tribal leaders
Chief Red Jacket portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Red Jacket, Chief of the Wolf Clan of the Seneca Tribe, published in volume one of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Red Jacket, or Sagoyewatha, allied with the British and fought in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), and was nicknamed Red Jacket after the British honored him with an embroidered red jacket for his service. Red Jacket died in 1830.
Thomas McKenny served as the United States Superintendent of Indian Trade in 1821 and commissioned portraits of American Indian leaders who visited Washington D.C. to negotiate treaties with the United States federal government in order to to preserve the memory and history of America's native peoples. After the paintings were completed, he commissioned lithographs of the 300 paintings and compiled them into three volumes of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" where a short biography accompanied each portrait. The paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly referred to as the Castle, and in 1868 all but five were destroyed in a devastating fire. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v1_p005_RedJacket
Subjects: Seneca Tribe; Iroquois Confederacy; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v1_p005_RedJacket
Subjects: Seneca Tribe; Iroquois Confederacy; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
Places: Washington D.C.
Chief Cornplanter portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Kiontwogky, also called Cornplanter or John O'Bail III (alternate spellings include O'Beel or Abeel), chief of the Seneca Tribe, published in volume one of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall.
Around 1732, Cornplanter was born to a Gah-hon-no-nah, a Seneca woman, and Johannes Abeel Jr., a Dutch fur trader. Cornplanter fought in alliance with the British during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). He also served as a diplomat between the United States and American Indian nations after the Revolutionary War, participated in post-war negotiations, and signed the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1784. He replaced Red Jacket as chief in 1791.
Thomas McKenny served as the United States Superintendent of Indian Trade in 1821 and commissioned portraits of American Indian leaders who visited Washington D.C. to negotiate treaties with the United States federal government in order to to preserve the memory and history of America's native peoples. After the paintings were completed, he commissioned lithographs of the 300 paintings and compiled them into three volumes of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" where a short biography accompanied each portrait. The paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly referred to as the Castle, and in 1868 all but five were destroyed in a devastating fire.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v1_p174_KiOnTwogKy
Subjects: Seneca Tribe; Iroquois Confederacy; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v1_p174_KiOnTwogKy
Subjects: Seneca Tribe; Iroquois Confederacy; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Chippeway woman portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting titled "Chippeway Squaw" published in volume one of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. This lithograph shows a Chippeway woman, or Ojibwe (alternate spellings include Chippewa and Ojibwa), carrying her baby on her back in a cradleboard. The term "squaw" is an English word borrowed from the Algonquian word for woman. However, "squaw" has historically been used in a diminutive manner or as a racial epithet for an American Indian woman. Today, and throughout its history of being used by non-native peoples, "squaw" is offensive for many American Indians.
Thomas McKenny served as the United States Superintendent of Indian Trade in 1821 and commissioned portraits of American Indian leaders who visited Washington D.C. to negotiate treaties with the United States federal government in order to to preserve the memory and history of America's native peoples. After the paintings were completed, he commissioned lithographs of the 300 paintings and compiled them into three volumes of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" where a short biography accompanied each portrait. The paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly referred to as the Castle, and in 1868 all but five were destroyed in a devastating fire. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v1_p198_ChippewayWoman
Subjects: American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian women; Ohio Women; Mothers and children
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v1_p198_ChippewayWoman
Subjects: American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian women; Ohio Women; Mothers and children
Places: Washington D.C.
Chief Black Hawk portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Makataimeshekiakiak (or Makataimeshekiakiah), commonly referred to as Black Hawk, war chief of the Sauk Tribe, published in volume one of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall.
Black Hawk (1767-1838) earned his title of war chief for his military success in leading warriors in raids and battles. He fought as a British ally in the War of 1812, and in 1832 famously led a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos across the Mississippi River into Illinois to resettle land that had been previously ceded to the United States, in what would be called Black Hawk's War, although it appears military confrontation may not have been his original intention.
Thomas McKenny served as the United States Superintendent of Indian Trade in 1821 and commissioned portraits of American Indian leaders who visited Washington D.C. to negotiate treaties with the United States federal government in order to to preserve the memory and history of America's native peoples. After the paintings were completed, he commissioned lithographs of the 300 paintings and compiled them into three volumes of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" where a short biography accompanied each portrait. The paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly referred to as the Castle, and in 1868 all but five were destroyed in a devastating fire. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v2_p059_MaKaTaiMeSheKiaKiah
Subjects: Sauk Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; War of 1812
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v2_p059_MaKaTaiMeSheKiaKiah
Subjects: Sauk Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; War of 1812
Places: Washington D.C.
Chief Me Te A portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Me Te A, chief of the Potawatomi Tribe, published in volume one of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Me Te A's village was on the St. Joseph River near modern Cedarville, Indiana. Thomas McKenny served as the United States Superintendent of Indian Trade in 1821 and commissioned portraits of American Indian leaders who visited Washington D.C. to negotiate treaties with the United States federal government in order to to preserve the memory and history of America's native peoples. After the paintings were completed, he commissioned lithographs of the 300 paintings and compiled them into three volumes of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" where a short biography accompanied each portrait. The paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly referred to as the Castle, and in 1868 all but five were destroyed in a devastating fire. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v2_p207_MeTeA
Subjects: Potawatomi Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v2_p207_MeTeA
Subjects: Potawatomi Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders
Places: Washington D.C.
Joseph Brant portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Mohawk leader Joseph Brant, or Thayendanegea, published in volume one of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall.
Joseph Brant (1743-1807) was born to Peter and Margaret (Owandah) Tehonwaghkwangearahkwa in the Ohio Country where they were traveling at the time, although sources differ as to the exact location of his birth. It is believed to have been either along the Cuyahoga River near present-day Cleveland, or at a point along the Ohio River or its headwaters. After his father's death, Brant's mother remarried a Mohawk sachem named Brant. Brant's father was good friends with the wealthy British Superintendent for Northern Indian Affairs, William Johnson, who later funded Joseph's education and connected Brant with important political leaders. Brant allied with the British during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
Thomas McKenny served as the United States Superintendent of Indian Trade in 1821 and commissioned portraits of American Indian leaders who visited Washington D.C. to negotiate treaties with the United States federal government in order to to preserve the memory and history of America's native peoples. After the paintings were completed, he commissioned lithographs of the 300 paintings and compiled them into three volumes of "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" where a short biography accompanied each portrait. The paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly referred to as the Castle, and in 1868 all but five were destroyed in a devastating fire. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v2_p214_Thayendanegea
Subjects: Mohawk Tribe; Iroquois Confederacy; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: V970_97M199h_v2_p214_Thayendanegea
Subjects: Mohawk Tribe; Iroquois Confederacy; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders
Places: Washington D.C.
Chief Black Hoof portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Shawnee leader Ca-Ta-He-Cas-Sa, or Black Hoof, published in "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Little is known about Black Hoof's early years. Allied with the French, he was present at the defeat of Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War. He did fight at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and represented the Shawnee at the signing of the Treaty of Greenville. After this, Black Hoof became convinced that the Indians had no hope against the whites except to adopt their customs. Using his influence with the Shawnee, Black Hoof encouraged the Shawnee to adopt the whites' way of living. By 1808, his followers established farms at Wapakoneta. Conflicts between the Shawnee and settlers continued. In 1826, Black Hoof led several hundred Shawnee people to the Kansas territory. After leading his followers to Kansas, Black Hoof returned to Wapakoneta and died there in 1831.
Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785–1859) served as the U.S. Superintendent of Indian trade from 1816–1822 and superintendent of Indian affairs from 1824-1830. James Hall (1793–1868) was a lawyer, writer, and editor who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1833 until his death in 1868. Their book was illustrated with portraits from the Indian gallery in the Department of War in Washington, D.C. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02908
Subjects: American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; Iroquois Confederacy; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: AL02908
Subjects: American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; Iroquois Confederacy; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Colonel Lewis portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Shawnee leader Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, commonly referred to as Colonel Lewis, published in "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea, whose name means "The man on the water who sinks and rises again," was born at Pickaway Plains, Ohio. He lived for many years near Wapakoneta, Ohio. McKenney and Hall say in their book that Colonel Lewis' rise to chief was entirely accidental. An American government official mistook Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea for the chief and his tribe followed suit, believing that was the wish of the government. Eventually, Colonel Lewis moved to land west of the Mississippi that was given to the Shawnee by the American government, and there he died in 1826.
Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785–1859) served as the U.S. Superintendent of Indian trade from 1816–1822 and superintendent of Indian affairs from 1824-1830. James Hall (1793–1868) was a lawyer, writer, and editor who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1833 until his death in 1868. Their book was illustrated with portraits from the Indian gallery in the Department of War in Washington, D.C. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02909
Subjects: Shawnee Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: AL02909
Subjects: Shawnee Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Tenskwatawa portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Shawnee leader Tenskwatawa, or The Prophet, published in "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Tenskwatawa worked with his brother Tecumseh to unite American Indian tribes in the Northwest Territory to defend themselves against white settlers. The title across bottom of the page reads "Tens-Kwau-Ta-Waw."
Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785–1859) served as the U.S. Superintendent of Indian trade from 1816–1822 and superintendent of Indian affairs from 1824-1830. James Hall (1793–1868) was a lawyer, writer, and editor who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1833 until his death in 1868. Their book was illustrated with portraits from the Indian Gallery in the Department of War in Washington, D.C. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02992
Subjects: Shawnee Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington (District of Columbia)
Image ID: AL02992
Subjects: Shawnee Tribe; American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington (District of Columbia)
Chief Mi-A-Qu-A portrait Save

Description: This is a lithograph of an oil painting of Myaamia (Miami) leader Mi-A-Qu-A, published in "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785–1859) served as the U.S. Superintendent of Indian trade from 1816–1822 and superintendent of Indian affairs from 1824-1830. James Hall (1793–1868) was a lawyer, writer, and editor who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1833 until his death in 1868. Their book was illustrated with portraits from the Indian gallery in the Department of War in Washington, D.C. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04513
Subjects: Myaamia Tribe (Miami); American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.
Image ID: AL04513
Subjects: Myaamia Tribe (Miami); American Indian history; American Indians--Portraits; American Indian tribal leaders; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Places: Washington D.C.