Red Jacket
Encyclopedia
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
orator and chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
of the Wolf clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
. He negotiated on behalf of his nation with the new United States after the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, when the Seneca as British allies were forced to cede much land, and signed the Treaty of Canandaigua
Treaty of Canandaigua
The Treaty of Canandaigua is a treaty signed after the American Revolutionary War between the Grand Council of the Six Nations and President George Washington representing the United States of America....
. He helped secure some Seneca territory in New York state. His talk on "Religion for the White Man and the Red" (1805) has been preserved as an example of his great oratorical style.
Life
Red Jacket's birthplace has long been a matter of debate. Some historians claim he was born at the Old Seneca Castle near present-day Geneva, New YorkGeneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, near the foot of Seneca Lake. Others believe he was born near Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
and present-day Canoga, while others place his birth south of Branchport
Branchport, New York
Branchport is a hamlet in the town of Jerusalem in Yates County, New York, United States. It is a "crossroads community" which contains about 85 dwellings, six stores, two churches, a library and a firehouse....
, on Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake is an unusual member of New York's Finger Lakes because it is Y-shaped, instead of long and narrow. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Crooked Lake...
near the mouth of Basswood Creek. It is known that he spent much of his youth at Basswood Creek, and his mother was buried there after her death.
Red Jacket lived much of his adult life in Seneca territory in the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
Valley. He and the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
chief Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
were bitter enemies and rivals, although they often met together at the Iroquois Confederacy's Longhouse. During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, when both Iroquois nations were allies of the British, Brant contemptuously referred to Red Jacket as "cow killer," alleging that at the Battle of Newtown
Battle of Newtown
The Battle of Newtown , also known as the Battle of Chemung, was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition, an armed offensive led by General John Sullivan that was ordered by the Continental Congress to end the threat of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American...
in 1779, Red Jacket killed a cow and used the blood to claim he had killed an American rebel.
Red Jacket became famous as an orator, speaking for the rights of his people. He played a prominent role in negotiations with the new United States federal government after the war. In 1792 he led a delegation of 50 people to Philadelphia. The US president George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
presented him with a special "peace medal", a large oval of silver plate engraved with an image of Washington on the right-hand side shaking Red Jacket's hand; below was inscribed "George Washington", "Red Jacket", and "1792". Red Jacket wore this medal on his chest in every portrait painted of him. (Today the medal is held in the collection of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.) In 1794, Red Jacket was a signatory, along with Cornplanter
Cornplanter
Gaiänt'wakê was a Seneca war-chief. He was the son of a Seneca mother, Aliquipiso, and a Dutch father, Johannes Abeel. He also carried the name John Abeel after his fur trader father...
and fifty other Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
leaders, of the Treaty of Canandaigua
Treaty of Canandaigua
The Treaty of Canandaigua is a treaty signed after the American Revolutionary War between the Grand Council of the Six Nations and President George Washington representing the United States of America....
by which they were forced to cede much of their land. It confirmed peace with the United States, as well as the boundaries of the postwar the Phelps and Gorham Purchase (1788) of most of the Seneca land east of the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
in western New York.
In 1797, by the Treaty of Big Tree, Robert Morris
Robert Morris (merchant)
Robert Morris, Jr. was a British-born American merchant, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution...
purchased rights from the Seneca for $100,000 to some lands west of Genesee River. (This area is present-day Geneseo in Livingston County
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
). Red Jacket had tried to prevent the sale but, not able to convince the other chiefs, he gave up his opposition. As often occurred, Morris used gifts of liquor to the Seneca men and trinkets to the women to "grease" the sale. Morris had previously purchased the land from Massachusetts, subject to the Indian title, then sold it to the Holland Land Company
Holland Land Company
The Holland Land Company was a purchaser of the western two-thirds of the western New York land tract known as the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. This tract was known thereafter as The Holland Purchase...
for speculative development. He retained only the Morris Reserve, an estate near present-day Rochester. During the negotiations, Brant told an insulting story about Red Jacket, but Cornplanter
Cornplanter
Gaiänt'wakê was a Seneca war-chief. He was the son of a Seneca mother, Aliquipiso, and a Dutch father, Johannes Abeel. He also carried the name John Abeel after his fur trader father...
intervened and prevented the leader from attacking and killing Brant.
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Red Jacket supported the American side.
His later adult name, Segoyewatha, which roughly translates as "he keeps them awake," was given by the Seneca about 1780 in recognition of his oratory skill. When in 1805 Mr. Cram, a New England missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
, asked to do mission work among the Seneca, Red Jacket responded expressing how the Seneca had suffered at the hands of Europeans. His "Religion for the White Man and the Red" further expressed his profound belief that Native American religion was fitting and sufficient for Seneca and Native American culture. It has been documented and preserved as one of the best examples of oratory.
Red Jacket developed a problem with
American Indian alcoholism
American Indians have historically had extreme difficulty with the use of alcohol. At times, American Indians have made paupers of themselves to obtain alcohol. Problems continue among contemporary Indians with 12% of the deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives being alcohol related...
alcohol
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and deeply regretted having taken his first drink (see following quote). Asked if he had children, Red Jacket, who had lost most of his offspring to illness, said:
- "Red Jacket was once a great man, and in favor with the Great SpiritGreat SpiritThe Great Spirit, also called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux, the Creator or the Great Maker in English, and Gitchi Manitou in Algonquian, is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nations cultures...
. He was a lofty pine among the smaller trees of the forest. But, after years of glory, he degraded himself by drinking the firewaterFirewaterFirewater is a US indie rock group founded by Tod A. in 1995. He describes them as a"wedding band gone wrong".After Tod left his previous group, Cop Shoot Cop, he quickly regrouped and formed Firewater to explore the styles of music Cop Shoot Cop had only hinted at, including klezmer, cabaret, ska,...
of the white man. The Great Spirit has looked upon him in anger, and his lightning has stripped the pine of its branches."
In his later years, Segoyewatha lived in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. On his death, his remains were buried in an Indian cemetery. In 1876, William C. Bryant
William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
presented a plan to the Council of the Seneca Nation to rebury Red Jacket's remains in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York was founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clark. It covers over 250 acres and over 152,000 are buried there. Notable graves include U.S. President Millard Fillmore, singer Rick James, and inventor Lawrence Dale Bell...
. This was carried out on 9 October 1884. The proceedings, with papers by Horatio Hale
Horatio Hale
Horatio Emmons Hale was an American-Canadian ethnologist, philologist and businessman who studied language as a key for classifying ancient peoples and being able to trace their migrations...
, General Ely S. Parker
Ely S. Parker
Ely Samuel Parker , was a Seneca attorney, engineer, and tribal diplomat. He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, when he served as adjutant to General Ulysses S. Grant. He wrote the final draft of the Confederate surrender terms at Appomattox...
, and others, were published (Buffalo, 1884).
According to Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, "Several portraits were made of him. George Catlin
George Catlin
George Catlin was an American painter, author and traveler who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West.-Early years:...
painted him twice, Henry Inman
Henry Inman
Henry Inman was an American portrait, genre, and landscape painter.-Biography:He was born at Utica, N. Y., and was for seven years an apprentice pupil of John Wesley Jarvis in New York City. He was the first vice president of the National Academy of Design. He excelled in portrait painting, but...
once, and Robert W. Weir did his portrait in 1828, when Red Jacket was on a visit to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Fitz-Greene Halleck
Fitz-Greene Halleck
Fitz-Greene Halleck was an American poet notable for his satires and as one of the Knickerbocker Group. Born and reared in Guilford, Connecticut, he went to New York City at the age of 20, and lived and worked there for nearly four decades. He was sometimes called "the American Byron"...
has celebrated him in song."
Honors and legacy
A variety of structures, ships and places were named in his honor, especially in the Finger LakesFinger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
region and Buffalo:
- A complex of dormitory buildings at the University at BuffaloUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
- Red Jacket Dining Hall at SUNY Geneseo.
- The Red Jacket Building, an apartment and commercial building in Buffalo.
- A memorial statue and Red Jacket Park are in Penn Yan, New YorkPenn Yan, New YorkPenn Yan is a village in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 5,219 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Yates County and lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes....
near Seneca Lake. The statue was sculpted by Michael Soles. - Red Jacket Yacht Club, which lies on the western shores of Cayuga LakeCayuga LakeCayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
. - The Red JacketRed Jacket (clipper)|-Further reading:-External links:* -Images and models:** by Percy A. Sandborne* Currier and Ives print* Currier and Ives print, with less color, Springfield Museum* ship model...
clipper ship, which set the unbroken speed record from New York to Liverpool. - A public school system, Red Jacket Central, which serves the communities of ManchesterManchester, New YorkManchester, New York is both a town and a village located in Ontario County, New York.*Manchester , New York*Manchester , New York...
and ShortsvilleShortsville, New YorkShortsville is a village in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 1,320 at the 2000 census.The Village of Shortsville is in the southwest part of the Town of Manchester and is north of Canandaigua, NY.-History:...
in Ontario County, New YorkOntario County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
. - The Red Jacket Volunteer Fire Department, which serves the Town of Seneca Falls.
- A section of land on the Buffalo River (New York)Buffalo River (New York)The Buffalo River is a river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, by the City of Buffalo in the United States of America. This stream is called the Buffalo River only in the vicinity of the city and is known as Buffalo Creek as it flows through other parts of...
is named "Red Jacket Peninsula". On the eastern bank of the river is the plaque containing a brief bio of Red Jacket and river history. - Red Jacket ParkwayCazenovia Park-South Park SystemCazenovia Park-South Park System is a historic park system located in the South Buffalo neighborhood at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. The interconnected set of parkways and parks was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of his parks plan for the city of Buffalo.The system consists of the...
in South BuffaloSouth Buffalo, Buffalo, New YorkSouth Buffalo is a neigborhood that makes up the southern third of the City of Buffalo, New York, USA. Traditionally known for its large Irish-American community, this once heavily industrialized district was home to many steel mills, automotive parts manufacturers, petroleum refineries, foundries,... - The Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
had a Red Jacket Council that included west of Rochester and Orleans County, New York, until 1943; it became part of Otetiana Council. In 2010 it merged with Finger Lakes Council to form Seneca Waterways Council. - The community of Red JacketRed Jacket, West VirginiaRed Jacket is a census-designated place in Mingo County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 581 at the 2010 census. The community was named for Red Jacket, a Seneca orator.-Geography:...
in southern West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, although the leader was not known to have had any connection to that region.
Further reading
- Graymont, Barbara, The Iroquois in the American Revolution, 1972, ISBN 0-8156-0083-6
- Robert G. Koch, "Red Jacket: Seneca Orator", Crooked Lake Review, March 1992
External links
by John Niles Hubbard- Red Jacket on Religion for the White Man and Red, Audio from Greatest Speeches in History Podcast
- "Red Jacket on Religion for the White Man and the Red", Bartleby Website, text online
- "Red Jacket, noted Indian orator, colorful character", Wisconsin History