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Treaty

Creeks and Seminole at Creek Agency (1845)

In 1845 the Creek and Seminole agreed that Seminoles would live in the Creek country, under Creek council control.

Signed
January 4, 1845
Senate
Ratified

What happened

The treaty of January 4, 1845, was made at the Creek Agency by United States commissioners with the Creek and Seminole tribes. It deals with where Seminoles would live and who governed them.

The preamble recalls that a Creek treaty of 1833 had said Seminoles would be a constituent part of the Creek nation. Many had settled in the Creek country, but others, "a large portion of the tribe," had refused. They said they would not submit to Creek laws and feared losing property to Creek authorities. The United States complained that those outside had settled on land secured to other tribes and committed depredations.

Article 1 gave Seminoles the right to settle in a body or separately anywhere in the Creek country, make their own town regulations subject to the general control of the Creek council, in which they would be represented, and have no distinction made between the two tribes except in managing money. Article 2 required Seminoles not yet there to remove "immediately" after ratification and settle permanently.

In Article 4 the United States, noting Creek dissatisfaction with their 1833 boundaries, agreed to an extra $3,000 yearly for education for twenty years. The treaty was proclaimed on July 18, 1845.

Good to know. The Seminoles' reasons are given in the United States commissioners' words, not the Seminoles' own.

Summarized with AI assistance from 3 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Well supported by the sources below.

  1. shall be entitled to settle in a body or separately, as they please, in any part of the Creek countryTribal Treaties Database (Oklahoma State University): Creeks and Seminole at Creek Agency (1845)
  2. The Seminoles agree that those of their tribe who have not done so before the ratification of this treaty, shall, immediately thereafter, remove toTribal Treaties Database (Oklahoma State University): Creeks and Seminole at Creek Agency (1845)
  3. an additional annuity of three thousand dollars for purposes of education shall be allowed for the term of twenty yearsTribal Treaties Database (Oklahoma State University): Creeks and Seminole at Creek Agency (1845)

Research notes. The treaty text is the only source cited; it does not say what happened afterward, so this story stops at the signed terms. The preamble describes the Seminoles' reasons in the United States commissioners' words; the Seminole view is not given here.

What happened next

Everything the record holds about this land and this treaty, in order: what earlier agreements said, what this one did, and what the United States, the courts and the nations did afterwards.

Who is doing the work today

The nations connected to this treaty come first, then groups returning land and defending treaty rights. Support goes directly to them.

This history belongs to living nations. Start with them:

Native legal and land defense, nationally

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Sources

  1. treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-creeks-and-seminole-1845-0550reference work
    Treaty with the Creeks and Seminole, 1845 Jan. 4, 1845. | 9 Stat., 821.

Shapes are approximate and are not legal descriptions of land, title or jurisdiction.