One of the immediate problems facing the United States in 1775 was that of relations with the Indian tribes of North America. Study of the transactions between the federal government and the Creek Indians from 1775 to 1813 offers many insights into the development of a national Indian policy. The period encompassed by the study includes U.S.-Creek interaction from its birth until the outbreak of general hostilities between the two nations. Creek-American affairs during this time were characterized by continued white encroachment upon Indian lands, haphazard negotiations, and an identity crisis on the part of the Creeks as they became more dependent upon the white man. Meanwhile the United States, burdened with the task of establishing a stable government, struggled to develop a coherent and consistent policy for dealing with the Indians within its borders. Frequently, Indian matters received less attention than more visible issues. Research materials concerning the topic of federal-Creek relations are abundant but scattered. State archives throughout the South remain a primary repository for much information on the subject. Federal records are available at the National Archives and the Library of Congress; however, a large number of these holdings are available on microfilm. Numerous secondary works touch upon portions of the subject area, but most are based upon a similar series of diaries, journals, and accounts. The conclusions reached in this study indicate that the United States lacked the means and the will to allocate resources in proportion to the magnitude of the Indian problem it faced. The policies followed by the government, however, were consistent with the desires of the majority of its citizens and played a major role in reducing conflict on the frontier.

ADA 027633 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)