Straight Up to See the Sky:Using Frontier Narratives to

Teach Early American History

Straight Up to See the Sky:Using Frontier Narratives to

Teach Early American History

Dr. Steven H. NewtonDelaware State University

©2008; all rights reserved

Dr. Steven H. NewtonDelaware State University

©2008; all rights reserved

The Strange Absence of Frontier History Between 1763 - 1800

The Strange Absence of Frontier History Between 1763 - 1800

The Revolution seen as a purely East Coast event

The absence of Native Americans, settlers, and land speculators from the “standard narrative”

The difficulty with ambiguity

The Revolution seen as a purely East Coast event

The absence of Native Americans, settlers, and land speculators from the “standard narrative”

The difficulty with ambiguity

The Daniel Boone exampleThe Daniel Boone example

Daniel Boone married Rebecca Bryan in 1756 The Boone Children

1757--James 1758--Israel 1760--Susannah 1762--Jemima 1766--Lavinia 1768--Rebecca 1769--Daniel Morgan 1773--John B. 1780--Nathan

But. . . .

Daniel Boone married Rebecca Bryan in 1756 The Boone Children

1757--James 1758--Israel 1760--Susannah 1762--Jemima 1766--Lavinia 1768--Rebecca 1769--Daniel Morgan 1773--John B. 1780--Nathan

But. . . .

The Daniel Boone example (2)The Daniel Boone example (2)

“Boone did not spend much time at home; he was mostly out hunting. Because he was often away, scholars have determined that several of the children were the product of Rebecca’s liaisons with other men. But Boone was a doting and loving father, even to his illegitimate children.” Timothy Truman

“Boone did not spend much time at home; he was mostly out hunting. Because he was often away, scholars have determined that several of the children were the product of Rebecca’s liaisons with other men. But Boone was a doting and loving father, even to his illegitimate children.” Timothy Truman

The ChronologyThe Chronology

1756-63: French & Indian War1763: King’s Proclamation1763-65: Pontiac’s Uprising1768: Treaty of Fort Stanwix1774: Dunmore’s War (Point Pleasant)1787: Northwest Ordinance1790: Harmar’s expedition1791: St. Clair’s expedition1794: Wayne’s expeditionWhy is this chronology a failure?

1756-63: French & Indian War1763: King’s Proclamation1763-65: Pontiac’s Uprising1768: Treaty of Fort Stanwix1774: Dunmore’s War (Point Pleasant)1787: Northwest Ordinance1790: Harmar’s expedition1791: St. Clair’s expedition1794: Wayne’s expeditionWhy is this chronology a failure?

…because it leaves out……because it leaves out…

Geography

Economics

. . . .and most of all: people

Geography

Economics

. . . .and most of all: people

The Land:The Land:

The Economics: Land and Land Speculation

The Economics: Land and Land Speculation

“The people lived on the land, and from it they made their living. Land was the chief source of wealth and the most generally accepted measure of wealth, as well as the chief medium for speculation. Its possession offered economic security and determined social status; it fulfilled in the eyes of parents the hopes for the coming generation. Absence of good land at reasonable prices in the older settled regions was the most important factor in turning the faces of people towards the West; its abundance in the West was the most powerful factor in drawing them thither. Above all things the settler came West for land.” R. Carlyle Buley

“The people lived on the land, and from it they made their living. Land was the chief source of wealth and the most generally accepted measure of wealth, as well as the chief medium for speculation. Its possession offered economic security and determined social status; it fulfilled in the eyes of parents the hopes for the coming generation. Absence of good land at reasonable prices in the older settled regions was the most important factor in turning the faces of people towards the West; its abundance in the West was the most powerful factor in drawing them thither. Above all things the settler came West for land.” R. Carlyle Buley

The Economics: Land and Land Speculation (2)

The Economics: Land and Land Speculation (2)

Christopher Gist, George Washington, and the Ohio Company Christopher Gist (1705-1759): Maryland planter and

frontier guide who served as the primary scout for Virginia and Maryland land speculators in the early 1750s

George Washington: young, aspiring planter with ambition but few resources; works as surveyor to gain a share in western land speculation; accompanies Gist on two occasions

Ohio Company; organized in 1747 to provide a vehicle for land speculation in the Ohio country

Christopher Gist, George Washington, and the Ohio Company Christopher Gist (1705-1759): Maryland planter and

frontier guide who served as the primary scout for Virginia and Maryland land speculators in the early 1750s

George Washington: young, aspiring planter with ambition but few resources; works as surveyor to gain a share in western land speculation; accompanies Gist on two occasions

Ohio Company; organized in 1747 to provide a vehicle for land speculation in the Ohio country

George Washington & Land Speculation

George Washington & Land Speculation

In his own words (1767) His purpose: “attempting to secure some of the

most valuable lands in the King’s part, … the Indian lands upon the Ohip, a good way below Pittsburgh…. Ordinary or even middling lands would never answer my purpose or expectation…. No, a tract to please me must be rich … and, if possible level…. [Obtaining such lands] could be accomplished after awhile, notwithstanding the proclamation that restrains it at present…. [It is but] a temporary expedient to quiet the minds of the Indians. It must fall, of course, in a few years, especially when the Indians consent to our occupying the lands.”

In his own words (1767) His purpose: “attempting to secure some of the

most valuable lands in the King’s part, … the Indian lands upon the Ohip, a good way below Pittsburgh…. Ordinary or even middling lands would never answer my purpose or expectation…. No, a tract to please me must be rich … and, if possible level…. [Obtaining such lands] could be accomplished after awhile, notwithstanding the proclamation that restrains it at present…. [It is but] a temporary expedient to quiet the minds of the Indians. It must fall, of course, in a few years, especially when the Indians consent to our occupying the lands.”

But this is young Washington, surely by the time he’s President?

But this is young Washington, surely by the time he’s President?

In 1794, President Washington finally found the opportunity to sell off the fruits of his youthful speculations in western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southern Ohio: One tract of 2,314 acres One tract of 4,395 acres One tract of 10,990 acres One tract of 7,276 acres Two tracts of a combined 4,950 acres He expected $3.00/acre, for a grand total of $89,775 Why has he waited nearly thirty years to sell this

land?

In 1794, President Washington finally found the opportunity to sell off the fruits of his youthful speculations in western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southern Ohio: One tract of 2,314 acres One tract of 4,395 acres One tract of 10,990 acres One tract of 7,276 acres Two tracts of a combined 4,950 acres He expected $3.00/acre, for a grand total of $89,775 Why has he waited nearly thirty years to sell this

land?

But George is not a settler, like….But George is not a settler, like….

The sons of William Zane, which moved into the Kanawha Valley around 1770

Ebenezer: leader of Fort Howard settlement Jonathan: Disbursing officer for Va militia during Dunmore’s War Silas: officer of the 13th Virginia Regiment who returns west in the 1780s to

become military leader Isaac: captured by Wyandottes in the 1750s; rose to marry a chief’s

daughter; played a careful dual role between Indians and settlers The Zanes argued for peaceful accommodation with the Indians;

established themselves at Fort Howard near modern Wheeling Two Indian sieges of Fort Howard

1777 “year of the bloody sevens” 1782 legend of Betsy Zane

Idolized for her role in running under Indian guns to bring powder and shot to the defenders of Fort Howard, she is often remembered as a plucky frontier lass; she may have been plucky, but she was 32 years old at the time

The sons of William Zane, which moved into the Kanawha Valley around 1770

Ebenezer: leader of Fort Howard settlement Jonathan: Disbursing officer for Va militia during Dunmore’s War Silas: officer of the 13th Virginia Regiment who returns west in the 1780s to

become military leader Isaac: captured by Wyandottes in the 1750s; rose to marry a chief’s

daughter; played a careful dual role between Indians and settlers The Zanes argued for peaceful accommodation with the Indians;

established themselves at Fort Howard near modern Wheeling Two Indian sieges of Fort Howard

1777 “year of the bloody sevens” 1782 legend of Betsy Zane

Idolized for her role in running under Indian guns to bring powder and shot to the defenders of Fort Howard, she is often remembered as a plucky frontier lass; she may have been plucky, but she was 32 years old at the time

Or a ranger like Samuel Brady….Or a ranger like Samuel Brady….

Born in DE in 1756, during the Revolution Sam rose to the rank of Captain, fighting in most of the important battles of the northeast

In 1781, Brady was assigned command of a 64-man ranger detachment at Fort Pitt, with an assignment similar to that of George Rogers Clark in Kentucky: protect settlers

Brady, who believed in draconian tactics, carried his personal war to the Indians, raiding villages, collecting scalps, and becoming a local hero

Born in DE in 1756, during the Revolution Sam rose to the rank of Captain, fighting in most of the important battles of the northeast

In 1781, Brady was assigned command of a 64-man ranger detachment at Fort Pitt, with an assignment similar to that of George Rogers Clark in Kentucky: protect settlers

Brady, who believed in draconian tactics, carried his personal war to the Indians, raiding villages, collecting scalps, and becoming a local hero

The massacre of 1791The massacre of 1791

Officials in western Virginia sent Brady’s rangers to apprehend a group of Indians who had allegedly attacked hunters, taken their furs, mutilated four settlers, and taken two captives

Brady’s men tracked suspects to Beaver’s Creek in Alleghany County and killed them

Accounts emerge that this is the wrong group of Indians; a $1,000 reward is placed on Brady’s head, but local land owners counter by attacking the credibility of the witnesses

Brady and his rangers are publicly declared innocent by the government (without a formal investigation), and in 1794 he serves as one of the primary guides for Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers

Brady dies at 1795, leaving behind the quotation that might serve as his epitaph:

“The Indians are a good ways off now, and I am glad of it. I don’t want them here. They killed a good many friends of mine and endeavored many-a-time to kill me, too, and I ran many a narrow chance of my life… I owe them no good will.”

Officials in western Virginia sent Brady’s rangers to apprehend a group of Indians who had allegedly attacked hunters, taken their furs, mutilated four settlers, and taken two captives

Brady’s men tracked suspects to Beaver’s Creek in Alleghany County and killed them

Accounts emerge that this is the wrong group of Indians; a $1,000 reward is placed on Brady’s head, but local land owners counter by attacking the credibility of the witnesses

Brady and his rangers are publicly declared innocent by the government (without a formal investigation), and in 1794 he serves as one of the primary guides for Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers

Brady dies at 1795, leaving behind the quotation that might serve as his epitaph:

“The Indians are a good ways off now, and I am glad of it. I don’t want them here. They killed a good many friends of mine and endeavored many-a-time to kill me, too, and I ran many a narrow chance of my life… I owe them no good will.”

Or “Mad” Anne Bailey (1741-1824)Or “Mad” Anne Bailey (1741-1824)

Born in England, she appears in Staunton VA in 1761, where she marries Richard Trotter, who is killed at Point Pleasant in 1774

When she receives word of his death, Anne leaves her young son William with neighbors and heads off for the frontier

She became known as an elk hunter and Indian scout in the Kanawha Valley….

Born in England, she appears in Staunton VA in 1761, where she marries Richard Trotter, who is killed at Point Pleasant in 1774

When she receives word of his death, Anne leaves her young son William with neighbors and heads off for the frontier

She became known as an elk hunter and Indian scout in the Kanawha Valley….

“Mad” Anne Bailey“Mad” Anne Bailey

“Short, stocky, and coarse in appearance, given to a loud, grating laugh, Anne Trotter presented a decidedly unfeminine picture to even the most liberal minded. She preferred an outdoor life and the clothes that go with such living. Leggings and breeches, worn to turn aside the brush and briars of the mountain trails, replaced the petticoats she had worn in the streets of Staunton.”

Timothy Truman

“Short, stocky, and coarse in appearance, given to a loud, grating laugh, Anne Trotter presented a decidedly unfeminine picture to even the most liberal minded. She preferred an outdoor life and the clothes that go with such living. Leggings and breeches, worn to turn aside the brush and briars of the mountain trails, replaced the petticoats she had worn in the streets of Staunton.”

Timothy Truman

“Mad” Anne Bailey“Mad” Anne Bailey

Anne married ranger John Bailey in 1785, and the two became merchants, hunters, and distillers (!) in the Kanawha Valley

Often dissuaded the local Shawnee from attacking her by claiming supernatural powers

Most famous for “powder runs” to the Fort Lee and Lewisburg garrisons

John died in 1792, Anne continues her escapades throughout the country, building her own cabin near Point Pleasant in 1818 at the age of 77, dying in her sleep at the age of 87 in 1824

Anne married ranger John Bailey in 1785, and the two became merchants, hunters, and distillers (!) in the Kanawha Valley

Often dissuaded the local Shawnee from attacking her by claiming supernatural powers

Most famous for “powder runs” to the Fort Lee and Lewisburg garrisons

John died in 1792, Anne continues her escapades throughout the country, building her own cabin near Point Pleasant in 1818 at the age of 77, dying in her sleep at the age of 87 in 1824

“Mad” Anthony Wayne and the Battle of Fallen Timbers--1794“Mad” Anthony Wayne and the Battle of Fallen Timbers--1794

Follows the twin defeats of Joseph Harmar and Anthony St. Clair in 1790 and 1791, Wayne is reluctantly commissioned by President Washington in 1794 to pursue the Shawnee north toward Detroit (ironically, Washington doesn’t want to appoint Wayne because of his poor reputation as a land speculator)

Key players Samuel Brady scouts for Wayne A leading Shawnee war chief is Blue Jacket (who was born

Matthew van Swearington and captured by the Indians at age eleven)

Tecumseh

Follows the twin defeats of Joseph Harmar and Anthony St. Clair in 1790 and 1791, Wayne is reluctantly commissioned by President Washington in 1794 to pursue the Shawnee north toward Detroit (ironically, Washington doesn’t want to appoint Wayne because of his poor reputation as a land speculator)

Key players Samuel Brady scouts for Wayne A leading Shawnee war chief is Blue Jacket (who was born

Matthew van Swearington and captured by the Indians at age eleven)

Tecumseh

In the aftermath of Fallen TimbersIn the aftermath of Fallen Timbers

Wayne negotiates a peace settlement in 1795 that requires the Indians to allow increasing settlement of the Northwest Territory

Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa move west to organize later Shawnee revolts

Massive numbers of settlers now flood into what would become southern Ohio and Indiana

The basic pattern of settler/Indian interaction is set But the complex reality is too often subsumed in short,

simple narratives of heroes and victims….

Wayne negotiates a peace settlement in 1795 that requires the Indians to allow increasing settlement of the Northwest Territory

Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa move west to organize later Shawnee revolts

Massive numbers of settlers now flood into what would become southern Ohio and Indiana

The basic pattern of settler/Indian interaction is set But the complex reality is too often subsumed in short,

simple narratives of heroes and victims….