The United States of America, part 1 (1783-1830) | Page 9

of avail in
bringing Britain to terms. As the end of her husband's mission drew
nigh, Mrs. Adams declared that she would quit Europe with more
pleasure than she came to it, and uncontaminated, she hoped, with its
manners and its vices. She attributed the ill success of her husband's
efforts to the lack of concord at home; to the debts which her
countrymen had contracted in Europe and were unable to pay; to the
expectation in England that prohibitory acts and heavy duties would
bring the Americans back to British allegiance; and to the calumnies
circulated by the Tory refugees in England. Their departure was
marked, in the opinion of John Adams, by a dry decency and a cold
civility, which made him feel, in breathing the air of his own country
again, as if he had just escaped from prison.

CHAPTER II
THE PROBLEMS OF THE BACK LANDS

The ease with which the American domain had been permitted to
extend to the Mississippi in the peace negotiations with Great Britain
did not mean a freedom from future anxiety concerning the "back
lands," lying to the west of the thirteen States. The entire domain
contained about 827,000 square miles, inhabited by about three million
people, very unequally distributed. Population was most dense near the
coast and gradually shaded off toward the interior. The front wave of
civilisation may be located by an irregular line passing through central
New Hampshire, skirting Lake Champlain, narrowing down to the
Mohawk valley, and across north-western New Jersey, whence it turned
due west across the mountains in a long arm reaching to Pittsburg.
Retreating to the Shenandoah valley, it descended to central Georgia
and thence to the sea. An "island" of people was to be found in central
Kentucky and another in north-central Tennessee. A great tract of
vacant but desirable land, comprising probably three-fourths of the
domain, stretched from within two hundred miles of the seacoast to the
distant Mississippi River. Barring a few French villagers, it was
inhabited only by savage men and beasts.
The lack of co-operation among the colonies in managing the Indians
had made a lasting impression. During the Revolutionary War, the
Congress gradually assumed the management of the savages to keep
them from serving the British forces. This was especially true of the
tribes dwelling beyond the recognised limits of the thirteen States. The
State Governments readily consented to allow the central body a large
control in this matter, because it meant so much for the common
defence. The British method of Indian agents and commissioners for
different geographical departments was adopted by the Congress, the
whole being placed under control of the Department of War. The
National Government thus came into control of the savages who
inhabited the vast trans-Alleghany region. The thought naturally

followed that it should be given control of the land itself, if it were to
manage the savages successfully.
Following the war, commissioners and agents complained that they
could not get the confidence and trade of the Indians of the North-west,
because of the influence of the British troops remaining in the forts, in
that quarter. According to the stipulations of the treaty of peace, the
forts located on the American side of the boundary line were to be
evacuated. There were some half-dozen of these posts, ranging along
the international line from Michilimackinac at the head of Lake Huron,
to Dutchman's Point, near Lake Champlain. The number of troops in
each was not sufficient to cause any fear of invasion; but their presence
produced an uncertainty in the Indian mind whether the control was
still with the British or had passed to the United States. The fur trade,
which should have passed through the States, was diverted to Canada
along the old lines.
Instead of vacating, the troops went out from some of the forts and built
additional new posts on American soil. "The Great Father across the
Waters," said a chief, when returning an unsigned treaty to Col. Harmar,
"has not given this country over to the Thirteen Fires." Knowing the
former predilection of the Indians for the French, the services of
Lafayette were enlisted, prior to his return to France, in addressing a
council on the frontier of New York to enlighten the natives concerning
their new allegiance. It was felt that all efforts would be of no avail
until the British were removed. To all American protests, the British
Government replied that the posts would not be evacuated until the
Americans had fulfilled their part of the treaty concerning the debts
owed to British merchants.
[Illustration: THE OLD BLOCKHOUSE AT MACKINAC, 1780]
At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, large sums had been due
British exporters and factors by American planters and traders, because
of the commercial system in vogue