St. Louis has always been at the center of history. Situated on the west bank of the Missippi River which forms the boundary between Missouri and Illinois, it was a hub of the Mississippian culture before becoming a key outpost in the French fur-trading network. It would later become a gateway to the west, most immigrants beginning their journey in St. Louis from wherever they had come back east or overseas. As a trading center, St. Louis was the focal point for many Native tribes. Between 1804-1825, over 14 treaties with various tribes would be signed either in or around St. Louis. Most of them were agreed by either William Henry Harrison or William Clark. Four of those treaties, chosen because they're within the scope of this blog, are as follows:
The Treaty of St. Louis, 1804, negotiated by William Henry Harrison with the Sak and Meskwaki tribes, represented by Queshquame of the Sak. In exchange for a yearly allotment of trade goods valued at $1,000 in currency at that time, the Sauk and Meskwaki agreed to give up most of Illinois and western Wisconsin. Resentment at this treaty would flair repeatedly for the next several years, culminating in the Black Hawk War of 1832.
After achieving fame for his role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition, William Clark, younger half-brother of George Rogers Clark, became Governor of Missouri Territory and Indian Agent. He negotiated other treaties where Harrison had left off. Among them:
The Treaty of St. Louis, 1816, in which members of the Ottawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi, who ceded the rights to land in Illinois and Wisconsin.
The Treaty of St. Louis, 1818, with the Osage ceded all territory between the Arkansas and Verdigris River.
The Treaty of St. Louis, 1825, the Shawnee ceded the area of Cape Girardeau, in Missouri.
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