Indigenous Alliances and Divisions During the American Revolution

During the American Revolution, Native nations formed strategic alliances with either British or American forces primarily to protect their ancestral territories from settler expansion. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a coalition of six nations in the Mohawk Valley, initially sought neutrality but fractured after the Declaration of Independence. The Oneida and Tuscarora supported the colonists, while the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca allied with the British. This division culminated in the Battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777, where Native soldiers fought on both sides, marking a significant rupture within the confederacy. The conflict underscored broader contradictions: colonists fought for independence while simultaneously encroaching on Indigenous lands. Other nations like the Cherokee and Lenape also participated, with the Cherokee aligning with the British due to ongoing territorial conflicts with American settlers. Despite contributions such as the Oneida providing corn to starving troops at Valley Forge, Native groups were excluded from the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Subsequent treaties forced land cessions, leading to displacement and the eventual Indian Removal Act of 1830. Historians note that no Indigenous community benefited from the war, which ultimately facilitated westward expansion at their expense.