Native Americans in the Revolutionary War

Many Native American communities remained neutral, viewing the conflict as a dispute between the British King and his colonies. However, some made the significant decision to align with either the British or the Patriots, weighing the potential outcomes for their lands and sovereignty.

The Proclamation of 1763, which restricted colonial expansion west of the Appalachians, initially favored Native Americans but angered colonists. Native American tactics, honed during the French and Indian War, were recognized for their effectiveness, often involving scouting and raids on colonial outposts.

Native communities experienced internal disputes over which side to support. For example, the Stockbridge Massachusetts community sided with the Patriots, while others assisted the British against American invasions of Canadian outposts. The Iroquois Confederacy saw divisions, with the Oneida and Tuscarora siding with Americans, and the Mohawk nation with the British.

British frontier outposts like Fort Niagara and Fort Detroit became crucial for Native Americans, leading many to fight alongside the British and American Loyalists. This prompted George Washington to dispatch General John Sullivan to destroy Iroquois villages and crops in 1779, earning Washington the nickname "Town Destroyer."

While Britain lost its colonies, the Treaty of Paris in 1783 nullified the 1763 Proclamation, opening the door for European-American westward expansion. This led to an escalation of the American Indian Wars, making the Revolutionary War a significant setback for Native Americans and their control over ancestral lands.