The Shawnee: A History of Resistance to White Settlement in the United States
1. Introduction
The Shawnee are a native American tribe that historically lived in the central and southern parts of the United States of America. The Shawnee Indians were forcibly removed from their ancestral homeland in the Ohio Country during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and resettled in Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma. Today, there are three federally recognized Shawnee tribes: the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Shawnee Tribe.
2. Historical overview
The Shawnee Indians were forcibly removed from their ancestral homeland in the Ohio Country during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The Shawnees traditionally occupied an area bounded by the Allegheny Mountains in the east, the Ohio River in the south, and the Wabash River in the west. In 1786, they ceded much of their lands in Kentucky and Ohio to the United States, but they retained a small reservation in Ohio until 1831 when they were forced to relocate to Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma.
The Shawnees were one of the last tribes to be removed from their homelands in the eastern United States. They resisted removal by moving westward several times, but each time they were forcibly removed by federal troops. In 1832, a group of Shawnee led by Chief Tecumseh resisted removal and formed a short-lived confederacy with other Indian tribes in Ohio and Indiana. The confederacy was defeated at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 and again at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.
After their defeat at Fallen Timbers, the Shawnees ceded much of their land in Kentucky and Ohio to the United States and agreed to relocate to Indian Territory. In 1831, they were forced to relocate to Kansas where they remained for four years before being moved again to Indian Territory.
The Shawnees were one of the first tribes to be forcibly removed from their homelands by the federal government. Their resistance to removal made them a symbol of Indian resistance to white settlement in the United States.
3. The Shawnee today
Today, there are three federally recognized Shawnee tribes: the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Shawnee Tribe. The Absentee-Shawnee Tribe consists of about 3,000 members who live in central Oklahoma. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe has about 2,200 members who live in northeastern Oklahoma near Bartlesville. The Shawnee Tribe has about 1,400 members who live in northeastern Oklahoma near Miami. All three tribes are enrolled in the federally recognized Cherokee Nation.
4. Conclusions
The Shawnees are a native American tribe that has a long history of resistance to white settlement in the United States. Today, there are three federally recognized Shawnee tribes: the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Shawnee Tribe. All three tribes are enrolled in the federally recognized Cherokee Nation.