| | 1 | Author: | Dawes, Henry L. | Add | | | Title: | "The Indian Territory."  | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | IN order to understand the purpose for which the Commission to the
Five Civilized Tribes was created, and the present condition of
their work, it will be necessary to refresh our memories as to the
conditions which caused its appointment. So much of the past of
these tribes as is essential for this purpose is briefly this.
These tribes are the Cherokees, the Choctaws, the Chickasaws, the
Creeks, and the Seminoles, numbering about 64,000 at the last
census. Seventy years ago they were living on their own lands in
Georgia, North Carolina and Mississippi, and to induce them to
surrender these lands to the white men of the States where they
were situated, the United States gave them in exchange the Indian
Territory. In the treaties made with them we conveyed the title to
the lands directly to the tribes for the use of the people of the
tribes to hold as long as they maintained their tribal
organizations and occupied them. This stipulation prevented their
parting with them without the consent of the United States. We
stipulated in these treaties that they should have the right to
establish their own governments without our interference, such
governments as they pleased, not in conflict with the constitution
of the United States. We also covenanted with them that we would
keep all the white people out of their territory. Having thus set
them up for themselves in a territory far west of any of the
States, beyond all further trouble, as it was thought, we left them
to do as they pleased for forty years. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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