On May 10th 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and immediately set to work at establishing a national government for the colonies of North America. Through the summer of 1775, the delegates raised a national army, established a post office, elected a Commander-in-Chief, and set up committees to handle the various departments of government. While actually a lose confederation, the bureaucracy established by Congress in those early days would serve as a model for the federal system that would come in the years following the rebellion. Under the authority of Congress, a Committee on Indian Affairs was established and quickly began drafting a national policy towards indigenous tribes. This committee and its policies would become the model for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Centralizing Indian Policy
Rather than allow the individual states to develop their own policies, the Committee on Indian Affairs established a national system of collective bargaining and treaty making. There were similarities between the new rebel policy and the one previously established by the British during the French and Indian War. While the British government employed two superintendents whose job it was to maintain the loyalty of indigenous tribes, the American government created three departments--northern, central, and southern. By focusing on three sections, the committee could centralize its efforts and ensure a greater effect. Congress wanted to ensure that indigenous tribes remained neutral in the face of hostilities between the United States and Great Britain. The most successful enticement proved to be stores of rum an trade goods, so Congress approved a budget appropriation of $17000 for distribution among the three departments. In addition to peace overtures directed at tribal leaders, agents for the Committee on Indian Affairs urged native tribes to stay out of the coming war.
Neutrality Over Alliance
The reasons the Committee on Indian Affairs chose to urge neutrality among the various indigenous governments were twofold. The prevailing prejudice of the day held that indigenous warriors, while fierce on the battlefield, were undisciplined soldiers and would therefore make poor recruits. Building on this thought, there were leaders on both sides of the conflict who felt that to include indigenous warriors in the coming war would bring unprecedented brutality to the civilized nature of European warfare. Even before the actual fighting began, both sides cast an accusatory finger at the other--arguing that bringing indigenous warriors into the conflict would result in rampant attacks on civilian targets. Both sides soon began to court indigenous allies.
A Dramatic Shift in Policy
In May of 1776, Congress decided to abandoned the policy of neutrality and seek alliances with indigenous governments. Gifts were exchanged and promises of new territories were made. American agents began to actively seek the support and aide of indigenous governments. The British government quickly followed suit and offered more territories to loyal tribes. During the war, the Continental Congress would redirect its policy towards indigenous tribes to this end.
Sources:
Mark M. Boatner III, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1994).
Mark C Carnes, Ed. U.S. History. (New York: MacMillan Library Reference, 1998).
Marilyn Miller and Martin Faux, American History Desk Reference. (New York: MacMillan, 1997).
Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2000).
Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).
