red jacket
Red Jacket (1758-1830) supported the British during the American Revolution (1777-83) and later became a spokesman for his people in negotiations with the U.S. government. [1]
The Senecas took the British side during the American Revolution, a costly mistake, since their ally ultimately lost. [2]
Red Jacket (1758-1830) was a Seneca Tribal Commander who lent support to the British during the Revolutionary War. [1]
Some historians claim he was born near the foot of Seneca Lake at the Old Seneca Castle near Geneva, NY. [...] In 1797, Robert Morris then purchased rights to some lands west of Genesee River from the Senecas for $100,000 by the Treaty of Big Tree (now Geneseo, New York in present Livingston County). [...] Red Jacket’s famous speech, as an apologist for the Native American religion, was called Red Jacket on Religion for the White Man and the Red. [2]
According to a number of accounts, Red Jacket’s reluctance to fight was perceived as cowardice by some Iroquois war leaders such as Corn-planter and Joseph Brant. [1]
In 1792 he was heading a delegation of 50 people to Philadelphia where president George Washington presented him with a special “peace medal”, a large oval silver plate showing an image of Washington on the right hand side shaking his hand engraved upon it, below the inscription “George Washington”, “Red Jacket”, and “1792″. [2]
Although Red Jacket eventually allied himself with other Indian nations in support of the British during the American Revolution, he was originally hesitant about the affiliation. [...] Red Jacket was also a staunch opponent of Christianity and worked to prevent Iroquois conversions to Christianity. [1]
In 1794, Red Jacket was a signatory along with Cornplanter and fifty other Iroquois, of the Treaty of Canandaigua confirming peace with the United States and the earlier boundaries of 1788 the Phelps and Gorham Purchase of most of the Seneca land east of the Genesee River in western New York. [2]
He was present at treaty negotiations in 1794 and 1797 in which major portions of Seneca land in upstate New York were ceded or partitioned into smaller reservations. [1]
In his later years, he lived in Buffalo, New York. [2]
In this historical painting, Red Jacket is depicted with a large, silver medal that was given to him in 1792 by President George Washington during a diplomatic visit to the then U.S. capital at New York City. [...] He had an excellent memory and was articulate and skillful in dealing with the whites, but he was accused of cowardice by other Native American leaders in active warfare. [1]
Sources:
[1] Red Jacket: Biography from Answers.com
[2] Red Jacket - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia