Edge of a New Nation
The Oneida Nation's strategic alliances, indispensable contributions and devastating cost
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Location
Fort Stanwix was constructed by the British on what is known as the "Oneida Carry," a location within the traditional territory of the Oneida Nation. The Oneida Nation is one of the distinct Nations comprising the powerful Six Nations Confederacy.
Familiar faces
Due to Fort Stanwix proximity to Oneida villages, members of the Oneida nation were a familiar presence in and around the fort during both the British and American occupation. They routinely visited the garrison for various purposes, including trade, council meetings, and sharing information.
Oneida People as First Allies
Although the majority of the Six Nations Confederacy supported England, the Oneida and some of the Tuscaroras (their dependents) chose instead to back the American cause.
British overreach
Sir William Johnson was responsible for forging the alliance between England and the Six Nations. However, he negotiated treaties that pushed colonial boundaries into Oneida land and restricted the Oneida's self-sufficiency, by denying requests for blacksmiths to maintain their tools.
Table with tools laid outFort Stanwix National Monument
Boston alignment
Rev. Samuel Kirkland was the Oneida's missionary from 1766, integrating his religious duties into their daily lives. He acted as a counselor and mediator for local disputes, arranged schooling, provided modern tools for carpentry and agriculture, and formed a close bond with Chief Skenandoa.
Shared survival
The Oneida found it difficult to believe England's warnings against radical "Bostonians" (the British term for American patriots). A growing realization that their sovereignty was eroding under British rule prompted an alignment with the "Bostonians".
Revolutionary sacrifice
The American Revolution upended the Great Tree of Peace (symbol of burying weapons). The Six Nations were forced into a proxy civil war, with brother fighting brother in the New York wilderness.
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It was the Oneida who were among the first to urge that the abandoned Fort Stanwix be reoccupied. While the fort was under American control, the Oneida proved invaluable allies, supplying information, warriors, scouts, and spies, and assisting the troops in tracking down down deserters.
Sovereign diplomacy
In 1777 the Oneida and Tuscarora were the first sovereign nations to recognize the United States, providing 150 men to General Gates' army. Oneida warriors fought alongside American soldiers at Oriskany, Saratoga and Barren Hill.
Painting of Oneida fighting with the AmericansFort Stanwix National Monument
Distinguished in battle
Oneida War Chief, Han Yerry Tewahangarahken, his wife, Two Kettles Together, (Tyonajanegen) and son Cornelius particularly distinguished themselves. Yerry was shot in the wrist, so his wife fought by his side reloading his guns. After the battle she rode miles to warn Mohawk Valley of the approaching wounded.
Oneida Chief, His Sister, and a Missionary (1861/1869) by George CatlinNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Vital logistics
Oneida men and women managed critical supply lines. During the winter of 1777-78 fifty Oneida travelled to Valley Forge, where a woman known as Polly Cooper became a cook for Washington's starving troops.
Oneida MonumentFort Stanwix National Monument
The cost of war
The Oneida Nation was severely impacted by the war. Their communities, wealth, and traditional way of life were destroyed, leaving them with little to rebuild. The Oneida were driven from their ancestral homelands, forced to live as refugees, relying on American rations.
The American Revolution secured independence for 13 colonies, but it cost the Oneida Nation their homeland.
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