The Treaty of Cusseta and the Creek War of 1836

The story of the removal of the Five Southeastern Tribes from their traditional homeland is one of broken promises, misunderstandings and outright betrayals.  In the case of the remaining Upper Creek of Alabama, it was also a case of fake war.

The Muscogee/Creek people had once controlled vast acres of hunting rang in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and northern Florida.  By 1832, they were struggling to hold onto remaining lands in Alabama.  Squatters continued to trespass on Native lands, even as land speculators had already claimed rights to it with state governments who were ready to see the Natives off to Indian Territory.  Opothleyahola and other Creek leaders had achieved some partial damage control under the Treaty of Washington of 1826, but were still forced to give up all Creek land in Georgia.  By 1832, authorities in Alabama were attempting to abolish tribal governance and extend state laws onto Creek territory.

In yet another attempt to salvage the situation, Creek leaders agreed to the Treaty of Cusseta of 1832, more cessions of Creek land in exchange for individual allotments of land for the remaining Upper Creek leaders and families remaining in Alabama.  One leader, Ladiga, sold land forming present-day Jacksonville, Alabama for $2,000 at the time.  The land speculators took advantage of Natives who did not understand American ideas of land ownership and induced them to sell their plots of land.  Squatters simply moved in on other portions of land.  Clashes broke out between squatters and Natives.  Opothleyahola appealed to the Jackson Administration for help in preserving what little land his people had left.  This was a last, desperate gasp, but one with some logic behind it.  Although Jackson had signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Creek warriors had served with him in 1812, often fighting against their own people.  They'd been promised annuities and land grants, which they never received.  Perhaps the President would make good on his word.

No.  The United States and Alabama authorities interpreted Creek attempts to dispossess squatters off their land as an act of war on the part of the Creek.  Jackson ordered General Winfield Scott to send troops to forcibly remove the remaining Creek families off their land.  Opothleyahola had no choice but to organize his people as best he could and lead them to Indian Territory in Oklahoma.   Opothleyahola would go on to honor and tragedy in Oklahoma, dying in 1863 after leading his people on the Trail of Blood and Ice trying to escape Confederate forces.  Ladiga disappeared from history, commemorated today by a bike trail in Alabama that bears his name.