The Creek War was a major engagement that occurred within the War of 1812. The war involved the Creek Indians and the U.S. army. Most of the battles took place in the deep south. The leaders of this war were William Weatherford and Andrew Jackson. Weatherford was a key chief in the Creek Nation. Jackson was a Tennessee country boy who had been given command of the Tennessee Militia by Governor William Blount. There were militias from other states as well that fought the Creeks. Jackson and his Tennessee Militia took the lead in this battle however. Jackson's goal was to burn down Creek villages and build roads into the heart of the south. Jackson began his march at Fayetteville, Tennessee. Two of the major skirmishes that Jackson was involved in were at Tallushatee and Talladega. He and his men set up their headquarters at Fort Strother. Jackson eventually marched back up into Tennessee, stopping at Chattanooga and Knoxville along the way. The Creek Indians chose to set up their base along the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. The Creeks were aided by the Shawnee Indians, led by Tecumseh. In the end Andrew Jackson forced the Creeks to sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson. This treaty gave the United States all the land that the Creek Indians owned. The treaty all but set the wheels in motion for Indian Removal. The Creek War made Jackson a U.S. hero. He was now one of the leading generals in the War of 1812. Just a short time later Jackson would defeat the British at the Battle of New Orleans, and would eventually become president of the United States.
Above is a map of the land that was given to the U.S. government by the Creek Indians. Most of the fighting took place in this area.
Above is a picture of Andrew Jackson
Above is a picture of Tecumseh
Above is a picture of William Weatherford
Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.
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