Treaty of Greenville
Fort Greenville, Greenville, Ohio, USA
What happened
The United States, led by General Anthony Wayne, and the nations of the Western Confederacy, with leaders including Little Turtle (Miami), Blue Jacket (Shawnee), Tarhe (Wyandot) and Buckongahelas (Delaware). After their defeat at Fallen Timbers in 1794, the Native nations of the Western Confederacy met US officials at Fort Greenville. They gave up most of present-day Ohio in exchange for goods and yearly payments. The treaty drew a boundary line between US and Native lands.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended the Northwest Indian War. Native lands were limited to north-western Ohio, and American settlement spread across the rest.
What came next
Settlers kept moving into Native lands, and the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, who had refused to sign, built a new confederacy. This led to the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
Did you know?
Meriwether Lewis, later of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and William Henry Harrison, a future US president, were both present at the signing.
Timeline
- 1785The Northwest Indian War begins.
- November 1793Wayne builds Fort Greenville.
- 20 August 1794US forces win at Fallen Timbers.
- 3 August 1795The Treaty of Greenville is signed.
- 7 November 1811The Battle of Tippecanoe.