"Two hostile nations" : Arthur St. Clair's policies and opinions regarding Indians in the Northwest Territory

Abstract

Arthur St. Clair was appointed by Congress as Governor of the Northwest Territory on July 13, 1787. At the time of his appointment he was serving as the President of Congress, and had been closely involved with the development of the Northwest Ordinance. Although he had been born in Scotland, and had served for several years in the British army, he chose to support the American cause for independence without hesitation. His Revolutionary War record was marred by the court-martial which he demanded to defend his retreat at the Battle of Ticonderoga, but he was exonerated of all crimes, and praised for his courage and strategy. St. Clair spend the remainder of the Revolution working closely with George Washington, which began a long association of mutual respect. After the war, he pursued political appointments at the state level, culminating in his election to the Congress on February 20, 1786, and his elevation to the presidency of that assembly less than one year later. St. Clair's experience with Indians was very minor before his appointment as Governor. Aside from fleeting encounters with them in the frontier Pennsylvania, and awareness of them as allies of the British during the Revolution, he was totally unprepared for the overwhelming problems which would characterize the encounter of these "two hostile nations." Through treaty negotiations, unsuccessful peace talks and ultimately warfare, St. Clair was put in the position of orchestrating the acquisition of Indian land and the extinguishing of Indian rights. St. Clair's official policy was always in direct accord with his federal instructions. He reflected exactly the image of the national government, and his letters to subordinates show his commitment to the welfare and growth of the United States. But it is in his addresses to the Territorial Legislature, and his interest and concern for the laws pertaining to the coexistence of white settlers and Native Americans, that the Governor's real contribution to the shaping of Indian policy becomes evident. Though his deeply felt Christian beliefs, his sense of honor, and his devotion to justice, Arthur St. Clair helped to shape a more humane policy toward Native Americans.