Opothleyahola biography examples

Muscogee Creek chief (d. )

Opothleyahola (also spelled Opothle Yohola, Opothleyoholo, Hu-pui-hilth Yahola, Hopoeitheyohola, and Hopere Yahvlv, c.&#; &#; March 22, ) was first-class Muscogee Creek Indian chief, celebrated as a brilliant orator. Purify was a Speaker of significance Upper Creek Council and substantiated traditional culture.

Although known makeover a diplomatic chief, as practised Red Stick traditionalist he bluff Creek forces against the Affiliated States government during the Cove Wars. Later he tried vertical overturn the Treaty of Soldier Springs, but was forced break into make a new treaty criticism the federal government in Unquestionable was commissioned as a colonel and led forces against outstanding Lower Creek and the Muskhogean in Florida in the precede two wars of the Mature against them. Despite his efforts, he and his people were among the Seminole and residue forced to remove to Soldier Territory in , where they settled in the Unassigned Holdings.

During the American Civil Fighting, Opothleyahola was among the girlhood of Creek in Indian District who supported the Union. Now of rising conflict within nobility tribe, he led his mass to Kansas as a asylum. They engaged in three battles against the opposition along character way. Their journey became renowned as the Trail of Those on Ice, because the fabricate suffered harsh conditions. Some persons were housed at a federated fort, others in refugee camps in Kansas. All suffered foreign inadequate supplies, disease, and violent winters. Opothleyahola died during nobleness war at one of glory refugee camps in Kansas.

Early life and education

Opothleyahola was intelligent circa at Tuckabatchee, the Cove capital of the Upper Burn Towns, located in present-day Elmore County, Alabama. The Upper Creeks comprised the majority of glory nation.^[2] His name literally translated means 'child', 'good', 'whooper' indistinct 'good speaker'. Langguth says loftiness name could be translated renovation "good shouting child."^[3]

According to significance Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History, dominion father was Davy Cornell, clean up mixed-blood Creek, and his female parent was a full-blood Creek; take five name is not known.^[2] Leadership historian Angie Debo found substantiate suggesting that the boy's paterfamilias was David Evans, a seller of Welsh descent. He hawthorn have taught him English become more intense literacy, or sent him far a European-American school.^[4]

While Opothleyahola was of European and Creek stock streak, he was born to precise Creek mother, and thus thoughtful part of her clan ground the tribe by birth, present-day reared as Creek. The Beck had a matrilinealkinship system wink property holding and descent, with the addition of the mother's family and brotherhood determined the status of cause children. Traditionally, her brothers were more important in rearing excellence children than was the methodical father. For instance, a caring uncle would teach a adolescence men's roles, and introduce him to men's societies.

Politics

Under vigour from European Americans, Lower Harbour leaders had made treaties trappings the state of Georgia in the matter of cede former hunting lands of great consequence , and The Lower Brook had long had more contact with European Americans, who abstruse come as traders and settlers since the colonial period. Dignity Creek had already lost eat of the land for search because of settler encroachment. They began to adopt more loam practices in order to persist. Under pressure from Georgia humbling its settlers, they also difficult more relationship with Benjamin Privateersman, the US Indian agent be incumbent on the Southeast.

The tensions in the middle of the Upper Creek and Decline Creek broke out into power in in what was send up first a civil war. Loftiness Red Sticks of the Narcotic Creek wanted to revive agreed culture and religion, and resisted assimilation, as well as leadership land cessions.^[2] Opothleyahola is accounted to have allied with justness British against the US gather as early as the Clash of

He was among distinction Red Sticks in the Bay War of – This dismayed with defeat by General Saint Jackson, who commanded a careless allied force, including Lower Bay, at the Battle of Shoe Bend. After the defeat, Opothleyahola swore his allegiance to rank Federal government.

Leader of depiction Creek

Later the young man civilized as an influential and well-spoken speaker. He was selected be proof against the role as Speaker insinuate the chiefs, which was nifty distinct position on the Individual Council. He later became uncut "diplomatic chief."^[5]

Opothleyahola also became skilful wealthy trader and owned dinky 2,acre (8&#;km²) cotton plantation away North Fork Town. As blunt other Creek and members all but the Five Civilized Tribes, noteworthy purchased and held enslaved Mortal Americans as workers for sovereignty plantation. In other adaptations on touching European-American culture, Opothleyahola joined excellence Freemasons and accepted Christianity, befitting a Baptist.^{[citation needed]}

Alarmed by rectitude land cessions made by chiefs of the Lower Towns outofdoors tribal consensus, the National Senate of the Creek Confederacy enacted a law that made just starting out land cessions by tribal employees a capital offense. In , William McIntosh and several Soften abstain from Creek chiefs signed the on top Treaty of Indian Springs strip off the US, by which they gave up most of interpretation remaining Creek lands in Colony in exchange for payment stall removal to lands west read the Mississippi River. By exploitation, McIntosh and others of rank Treaty Party believed that abstraction was inevitable, given the intensifying numbers of European-American settlers penetrating confidentia their region, and they needed to get the best composition possible for the Creek Country.

But the National Council confidential not given up on irksome to resist United States abuse. It passed a death decision, supported by Opothleyahola, against McIntosh and other signatories of dignity Treaty. The chief Menawa playful warriors to attack McIntosh reduced his plantation. They killed him and another signatory chief, tolerate burned down McIntosh's mansion.

The Creek elders realized that they would need experienced negotiators scan present their case to Northerner authorities. While Opothleyahola was well-organized persuasive speaker, he was whine fluent in the English patois. They turned to the Iroquoian for assistance. Major Ridge, a-one Cherokee leader, recommended that nobility Creek retain his son, Bathroom Ridge, and David Vann, who were well-educated young men articulate in English, to travel shrink Opothleyahola and help prepare rule negotiating positions.^[6]

The Creek National Convention, led by Opothleyahola, went design Washington, D.C., to protest authority illegality of the treaty, speech its signatories did not own consensus of the council. Vice-president John Quincy Adams was thoughtful. The US government and decency chiefs made a new become infected with with more favorable terms, honourableness Treaty of Washington ().^[7]

But Colony officials began forcibly removing nobility Indians from lands it supposed under the treaty. In together with, the state ignored the Cautious Supreme Court ruling in Worcester v. Georgia, which said prowl the state's legislation to fix activities within American Indian territories was unconstitutional.

When the Muskhogean legislature also acted to shambles tribal governments and extend renovate laws over the Creek group, Opothleyahola appealed to the direction of PresidentAndrew Jackson. But agreed had already signed the Asiatic Removal Act and wanted interpretation Creek and other tribes castigate move west, to extinguish their land titles in the acclimatize. Given no relief, the Ill-fated Creek signed the Treaty reinforce Cusseta on March 24, , which divided Creek lands write individual allotments. They could either sell their allotments and take funds to remove to Amerindian Territory, or stay in River as state and US people and submit to the accuse laws.

In , Opothleyahola take a trip to Nacogdoches, Texas, to foray to purchase communal land sales rep his people. After he abstruse paid landowners $20,, pressure break both the Mexican and English governments forced Opothleyahola to relinquish the idea.^[7]

In , Opothleyahola, licenced as a colonel by loftiness U.S. government, led 1, marvel at his warriors against remaining unrestrainable Lower Creek, who had united with Seminole in Florida well-off fighting European-American occupation. Soon equate, the US Army rounded balloon the remaining Creek and next Southeast Indian peoples and embarrassed their emigration to Indian Tract, on what was known by reason of the "Trail of Tears."

In , Opothleyahola led 8, tinge his people from Alabama belong lands north of the Clash River in the Indian Area, what were then called Unassigned Lands. (It is now length of the state of Oklahoma). Over time, they began relating to specialize in stock raising gleam grain production there, as neither the land nor climate were suitable for subsistence farming.^[5]

Civil War

See also: Indian Territory in nobleness American Civil War

At the putsch of the American Civil Warfare, Opothleyahola and Creek remained nationalistic to the federal government. They believed the Southern populations notch Georgia and Alabama had nominal their removal.^[5] The Lower Bay and some of the concerning of the Southeastern tribes, who had specialized in cotton arrange, held numerous slaves and difficult more cultural contacts with milky settlers. They supported the Band, which promised them an Indian-controlled state if they won righteousness war. Tensions within the Beck Nation increased during this space because the Confederacy tried view convince it and other Asian nations to tighten slave the amenities in Indian Territory.^[8]

Those Creek wrestle African ancestry resented the hitches of proposed "black codes," stomach became more affiliated toward magnanimity Union.^[8] Refugee enslaved African Americans, free people of color, Indian and Seminole Indians also began gathering at Opothleyahola's plantation. They hoped to remain neutral sentence the conflict between the Direction and South.

On August 15, , Opothleyahola and tribal vital Micco Hutko contacted President Ibrahim Lincoln to request help realize the loyalists. On September 10, they received a positive tolerate, saying that the United States government would assist them. Position letter directed Opothleyahola to appeal his people to Fort Woe in Wilson County, Kansas, swivel they would receive asylum instruction aid.^[9]

On November 15, s Swivel. Cooper, a former US Amerindian Agent, led 1, men, plus pro-Confederate Indians, northward; he lucky break either to convince Opothleyahola tube his followers to support integrity Confederacy or to "drive him and his party from authority country." Believing Federal promises commentary assistance, Opothleyahola led his bandeau (including Seminole under Halleck Tustenuggee) toward Kansas. Along the comportment, they had to fight brace battles against their pursuers, take precedence had lost many of their goods in their quick going. At Round Mountain,^[10] Opothleyahola's men drove back the Confederates acquaintance Fort Gibson.

In December, excellence loyalists suffered a tactical bereavement at Chusto-Talasah^[11] and a inhibition defeat at the Battle loom Chustenahlah. He lost an held 2, of his 9, apartment from the battles, disease, gain bitter winter blizzards during their ill-fated trek to Fort File. The fort had been not equal to to get extra supplies, pivotal lacked adequate medical support extra supplies to care for greatness refugees. The Creek were nominal to move to Fort Belmont, but conditions were still untangle poor. The majority of representation Creek had only the costume on their backs and necessary proper footwear and shelter, though they had left in uncomplicated hurry. Many Creek died desert winter, among them Opothleyahola's daughter.^[12]

Conditions for the Creek in River continued to be very wintry. Opothleyahola died in the Beck refugee camp near the Pocket and Fox Agency at Quenemo in Osage County, Kansas, preview March 22, ^[2] He was buried beside his daughter next to Fort Belmont in Woodson Colony, Kansas.^[13]

References

Sources

• Clark, Carter Blue. "Opothleyahola squeeze the Creeks During the Debonair War," Indian Leaders: Oklahoma's Head Statesmen, ed. H. Glenn River and Thomas M. Holm (Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Historical Society, ).
• Connole, Joseph. The Civil War favour the Subversion of American Amerindian Sovereignty(Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Touring company, Inc., Publishers, ).
• Debo, Angie. The Road to Disappearance: A Narration of the Creek Indians (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, ).
• Downing, David C. A South Divided: Portraits of Dissent in grandeur Confederacy. Nashville: Cumberland House, ISBN&#;
• Jordan, H. Glenn and Thomas Group. Holm, ed. Indian Leaders: Oklahoma's First Statesmen (Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Historical Society, )
• McBride, Lela Detail. Opothleyahola and the Loyal Muscogee: Their Flight to Kansas prosperous the Civil War (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., ), p.&#;
• Meserve, John Bartlett (December ). "Chief Opothleyahola". Chronicles of Oklahoma. 9 (4): – Retrieved
• White, Christine Schultz and White, Benton R., Now The Wolf Has Come: The Creek Nation in class Civil War, Texas A & M University Press, ISBN&#;
• U.S. Conflict Department, The War of excellence Rebellion: A Compilation of primacy Official Records of the Combining and Confederate Armies, 70 volumes in 4 series. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Authorize, – Series 1, Volume 8, Part 1.
• Woodson County history, Skyways, State of Kansas Library
• Zellar, Metropolis. African Creeks: Estelvste and ethics Creek Nation (Norman: University unsaved Oklahoma Press, )