The Chickasaw Indians in the eighteenth century. The Chickasaw's domain stretched from northern Mississippi to southern Kentucky. Their eighteenth century culture is not covered by many writers. Even though their territory lay in the French sector, their affiliation was basically with the English. The two sources for early eighteenth century material were Thomas Nairne and James Adair even though the latter's descriptions were generalized to include other Indians of the Southeast. However, since he moved from living with the Cherokee to living amongst the Chickasaws in 1744, it can be concluded that his descriptions applied to them as well. Since Adair's descriptions of the southeast Indians have already been presented in a former chapter of the book, they will not be repeated. Starting in the late seventeenth century, the French tried to establish themselves with the Chickasaw. They promised them trade goods, protection, and missionaries. However, the Chickasaw seriously opposed missionaries, found their trade goods to be inferior to the English, and found their protection lacking. As with the other Indian nations in the Southeast, the eventual fate of the Chickasaws was largely determined by the eighteenth century European powers in "The New World." This included not only political machinations but the introduction of Negro slaves and the dependence on European goods (exogenous material culture) as replacements for their native goods or indigenous material culture. Thomas Nairne in the early part of the eighteenth century visited the Talapoosas who were members of the Creek Confederacy. In 1708, according to Nairne, the Chickasaws consisted of "about 700 men Devided in 8 villages".1 He stated that: "The Chickasaws are to the Talapoosies as men of Quality among us are to the peasants, look more brisk, airy and full of life and tho in the same garb2 yet their mien is very distinguishing. Add to that that both sexes of the Chickasaws are handsome people, exceeding any others but are nothing near so Civellized, quiet and good Natured."3 Special tokens were used by the Chickasaws to show resect to valiant members of their tribe. They gave to a warrior who had done great deeds two small white arrows to place in his hair.4 While Nairne stated that the Chickasaw women were more modest than other women in the Southeast,5 he obviously felt their clothing belied that statement according to European standards. "[The young woman] thinks herself compleatly adorned, when wrapt below the Navell with red or blew stroods [stroud cloth], her hair Oyled and trimed up, her Ears hung with glass pendents, her neck and wrists encircled with beads of the same Mettel, neither can any other Dress make her apear more agreable or add the Least to native beauty. If her husbands ability does afford Jacketts or blanketts 'ts well, if not drest Buffaloe calf skines suply the defects."6 "These [Indian] ladies are so pleased to look sparkling in the dances, with the Cloaths bought from the English, that they would be very loath any difference should happen, least they again be reduced to their old wear of painted Buffeloe Calf skins."7 This trend to wear English clothes continued in the eighteenth century. According to a memorandum of goods traded by the English to the Chickasaws circa 1729, it can be seen the large number of articles that involved their dress and adornment:
The above description and following statement shows the influence of European goods as well as the beginning of economic stratification based on the ability to have the resources to trade for European goods. In addition, the Chickasaws discovered that they could acquire wealth faster if they switched from the trade of hunting animals to that of slave catching9. In this context slave catching referred to catching and selling Indians of other groups to White men. This economic move had tremendous political effects. The Chickasaw lived in the French territory but professed allegiance to the English. Both in 1739 and in 1743, Bienville tried to conquer the Chickasaw. Both times he failed.10 With the Peace of Paris in 1763, the Chickasaw problem with the French ceased because their land became the possession of the British; but with the advent of the American Revolution, they were, once again, thrown into a situation whereby they were forced to take a stance. During the period between the Peace of Paris and the American Revolution, changes took place within the Chickasaw territory. According to Gibson, after the British take over of West Florida, English settlers poured into the area. Often, they crossed the Chickasaw territory as a route to the Mississippi River and thence to the Mississippi valley and gulf.11 Even though the British had promised the Chickasaws that their land would be "off limits" to settlers, this promise was impossible to enforce and not only did single men come into the area but traders with families or traders who created mixed blood families upon arrival.12 Having been fairly isolated from Europeans prior to 1763, some of the Chickasaws were now joining with the Anglos and producing children of mixed blood. Furthermore, the Chickasaws had been absorbing many of the smaller tribes on the east side of the Mississippi River and, thus, creating an intermingling of blood lines.13 Captain Bernard Romans commented in his narrative about East and West Florida that: "There were in 1771, only two real original Chickasaws left."14 Whether this statement is accurate or an exaggeration, the fact remains that due to the absorption of smaller tribes and the influx of Anglos into the Chickasaw land, few full blood Chickasaws remained by 1771. As happened with other tribes who were in a state of flux as a result of external events, the mixed bloods, who better understood the "New World" than did the full bloods, began to assume and be put into roles of leadership, authority, and power. They had slaves, plantations, and economic advantage. While some of the mixed-bloods adopted Anglo dress, attended schools both in the colonies and in Europe, and became active in commercial ventures, some White frontiersmen opted to live with the Indians and be adopted into their ranks. Francis Bailey on a tour through the Chickasaw territory in 1796 commented on one such man. "This man was one of those of whom there are a great number, who, from habit and disposition, prefer the Indian mode of life to that of a more civilized state; and, from living on the frontiers, and from making occasional incursions into their country, had come at last to settle amongst them, and be adopted as one of their children."15 During this period, to add to the confusion that already existed, some of the full bloods were trying to regain control and a to return to the old ways.16 With the advent of the Revolutionary War, the Chickasaws were in a key position to help the British. The Chickasaws were enlisted to guard the Mississippi River by the Chickasaw bluffs and to store equipment for the British.17 After the Spanish entered the war and took possession of Natchez, Mobile, Pensacola, etc., the Chickasaw Nation became the last remaining British enclave in the "west".18 Due to the capture of the aforementioned towns and others in the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Gulf, many Anglos fled to the Chickasaw Nation, thus increasing the number of non-Indians there.19 After the War, the Chickasaws were left with joint enemies - The Spanish and the Americans. Both pressured the Chickasaws to sign treaties of alliance. This caused further division within the Chickasaw Nation. Spain, used the weapons of "trade" by engaging English firms that already knew the Indians to act as agents - Mather and Strother, initially, and then Panton and Leslie.20 In 1785, the Confederate Congress appointed agents to the various prominent Indian Tribes - The Creek, Chickasaws, Cherokees, and Choctaws - to invite them to attend a council to be held at Hopewell in South Carolina. Meanwhile, however, factions within the Indian community wanted them to repudiate the Americans and to continue their allegiance to the Spaniards.21 Once again, the Chickasaws were split by internal factions. In 1791, Secretary of War Henry Knox informed the Indians that, according to the treaty of Hopewell, the Federal Government and not the individual states had authority over the Indians; and in 1797, Captain Isaac Guion established an American military Post within the Chickasaw Nation and a path of active integration of the Chickasaws and other Southeastern tribes into the American Dominion was pursued.22 As stated previously, Francis Bailey traveled in the "unsettled" parts of the country in 1796 and 1797. When he was in the vicinity of Chickasaw Bluffs, he encountered a group of mixed-blood Chickasaws who had been waiting for the arrival of the customary presents from the American government. "The chief part of them were dressed in printed calico shirts, which (together with what they call a breech clout) formed the whole of their dress, except for a pair of mockasons, which served them for shoes. These mockasons are made of deer skins, which are smoked instead of tanned, and are thereby rendered very soft and pleasant to the feet; they are sowed together at the top with the sinews of the deer, and are finished often times in a very curious manner with wampum and porcupine quills."23 "War bells" were a specific ornament used to create a particular sound when rattled in a dance. "Seeing us so inquisitive, the old man showed us all the things appertaining to war. He brought out the war bells, which are formed of a hollow nut, about as big as one's fist, in which was a stone, which made a hollow dismal sound. Two or three of these he put on each wrist, and as many on his feet."24 |