Alexander's Rise to Power 3

The United States faced many problems after in gained independence. One of these problems was how to deal with its Indian neighbors. The Articles of Confederation were very vague on dealing with Indians in any manner. There were no set of guidelines of who should deal with the Indians or how. The United States did not want to go to war with the Creek Indians. They were still trying to recover from the American Revolution. It had only been 10 years since the Americans had been in a very messy war and they were not ready to engage in another one yet.

  The constant border skirmishes did not help matters any. Spain did not want to supply arms to the Creeks if they were going to openly fight the Americans. They were willing to supply arms to fight the Georgians but not the United States.  Georgia had engaged in two treaties that many had thought coercion and force were used to get the Creeks to sign away part of their lands (14)

  McGillivray was an intelligent leader. He played both sides against each other to acquire the desired outcome. He was very successful for a long time by keeping the other regional powers unsure of what he was going to do next. If he thought that things were not going his way during meetings he would not show up to continue the meetings. There were several times that he would not go to meeting that were scheduled for treaty talks. He wouldn't tell the other party that he wasn't going to show. This left everyone waiting on him. He would do this until he got his way.

  In June of 1784, Alexander along with other chiefs had signed the Treaty of Pensacola allying them with Spain. The treaty signing lasted six days. Before the Spanish Governor Miro left Pensacola for Mobile he commissioned Alexander McGillivray Spanish Commissary to the Creek Indians. This commission included a $600 dollar a year salary. His duties were to supervise the traders among the Creek Indians and protect Spanish interests. In the Tribe (12)

This treaty joined Spain and Creek Nation in a close alliance. The Creeks agreed to maintain peace with Spain and among the other southern Indian tribes. The Creeks were to seize any strangers among them that were trying to disturb this peace. They also promised obedience to Spanish law. In return the Spanish were to provide protection for the Indians whenever necessary.  No white person of any nationality was allowed to stay among the Creeks for any reason with out a Spanish passport. The practice of scalping and the taking of white prisoners were to be abolished. There were several other provisions in the treaty but the most important part was the last article. It guaranteed the Creeks ownership of their own land based on traditional property rights. The treaty fell short because it only guaranteed property rights inside Spanish territory. (13) After this treaty was signed between Spain and the Creeks: the United States would try unsuccessfully for the next four years to try to get Chief McGillivray to sign a treaty with them.

Finally, the Americans had persuaded the Creek chiefs to sign a treaty for peace. On June the 1, 1790, McGillivray his nephew and eight other Upper Creek Chiefs headed for New York. They stopped at Stone Mountain in Present day Georgia where several other Creek leaders joined them. They proceeded to the plantation of General Andrew Pickens, where they stayed until June the 18^th. Then the group of thirty Indians left in wagons and on horseback to continue their journey to New York. President Washington wanted the Indians to receive the royal treatment. The Secretary of War wrote the governors of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania to request favorable treatment for the Indians (16)

On August the 7, 1790 Chief McGillivray and the remaining influential chiefs would sign the Treaty of New York. Part of this treaty had a secret clause in it that made Alexander McGillivray a Brigadier General in the United States army. This commission was with pay and guaranteed for life. Alexander was the first person to ever receive a commission as Brigadier General by the U.S. Congress let alone the first Indian to ever receive one.  When the Indians went back to their country Alexander's nephew David Tate stayed behind. His uncle had arranged for him to go to school free at West Point this was authorized by President Washington.  David Tate was also a member of the Wind Clan and the half brother to Chief RedEagle. David Tate was the first American Indian to graduate from West Point. (16)

The Treaty of New York never really ended the hostilities between Georgia and the Creek Nation. Troubles would not end until after the battle of Horseshoe Bend some twenty years after the Treaty was signed. Alexander McGillivray died on February 17, 1793 at a friend's house in Pensacola Florida. He was buried with full Masonic honors. He was only 34.

He had been the Great Beloved Chief of the Creek Nation, a British Colonel, a Spanish Commissionary, a United States  Brigadier General, and the son of a real Indian Princess. To many he was a hated dictator and to others he was Hippo-ilk-micco "The Good Child King" (17).

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