Treaty of Fort Atkinson
The Treaty of Fort Atkinson, signed in the 1850s, represents a significant agreement between the United States and various Plains Indian tribes, primarily facilitated by Thomas Fitzpatrick, an Indian agent and trader. This treaty aimed to establish peace among the tribes involved and promote peaceful coexistence between Native Americans and white settlers. It not only recognized the rights of U.S. citizens to traverse Indian lands but also sanctioned the construction of military roads and posts, reflecting the broader U.S. ambitions in westward expansion. Additionally, the treaty included provisions for the government to pay annuities to the tribes for a decade, which was a common practice in treaties during this era. The Treaty of Fort Atkinson is part of a larger context of treaties aimed at assimilating Native American tribes into European-American culture, often at the expense of their sovereignty and traditional ways of life. The involvement of influential figures like Chief Ten Bears of the Tamparika Comanche highlights the importance of leadership and negotiation in these agreements. Overall, the treaty exemplifies the complexities of U.S.-Indian relations during a transformative period in American history.
Treaty of Fort Atkinson
Date: 1853
Place: Southwestern Kansas
Tribes affected: Apache, Comanche, Kiowa
Significance: This treaty was an attempt to establish peace among southern Plains tribes in order to ease white passage westward and facilitate the building of a transcontinental railroad through Indian lands
Personally negotiated by Thomas Fitzpatrick, a white trader and Indian agent of the Upper Platte Agency, the Treaty of Fort Atkinson was one of a series of U.S.-Indian treaties signed during the 1850’s to open passage to America’s Far West while promoting the Christianization and civilization of the Plains Indians. Fitzpatrick previously had helped to bring the Sioux and seven other Plains tribes together to sign the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1851 with the United States. The signatories to the Fort Atkinson Treaty agreed to establish peace among the affected Indian tribes, as well as between Indians and whites. It sanctioned the passage of whites through Indian lands, and acknowledged U.S. rights to establish military roads and posts thereon. It also provided for annuities to be paid by the United States (for a ten-year term) to the affected Indians.
