Modernity through Letter Writing: Cherokee and Seneca Political Representations in Response to Removal, 1830–1857

283 Pages·2020·9.985 MB·English

by  Claudia B. Haake

Modernity through Letter Writing

M o d e r n i t y
through
L e t t e r W r i t i n g
Cherokee and Seneca Political Representations
in Response to Removal, 1830– 1857
Claudia B. Haake
University of Nebraska Press
Lincoln
© 2020 by the Board of Regents of
the University of Nebraska
All rights reserved
Publication of this volume was aided by a grant from
the Gerda Henkel Foundation (Gerda Henkel Stiftung).
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Haake, Claudia B., author.
Title: Modernity through letter writing: Cherokee
and Seneca political representations in response
to removal, 1830– 1857 / Claudia B. Haake.
Other titles: Cherokee and Seneca political
representations in response to removal, 1830– 1857
Description: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press,
[2020] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: lccn 2020001501
isbn 9781496215673 (hardback)
isbn 9781496222930 (epub)
isbn 9781496222947 (mobi)
isbn 9781496222954 (pdf)
Subjects: lcsh: Cherokee Indians— Government
relations— History— 19th century. | Seneca Indians—
Government relations— History— 19th century. |
Cherokee Indians— Correspondence. |
Seneca Indians— Correspondence. | Cherokee
Indians— Relocation. | Seneca Indians—
Relocation. | Cherokee Indians— Politics and
government— 19th century. | Seneca Indians—
Politics and government— 19th century.
Classification: lcc e99.c5 h217 2020 |
ddc 975.004/97557— dc23
lc record available at https:// lccn .loc .gov /2020001501
Set in Garamond Premier by Mikala R. Kolander.
Designed by N. Putens.
For Nicholas and Katarina

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. Civilization and the Removal Policy 19
2. Authorship and Writing Practices 55
3. Ideas of Law in a New Age of Letter- Writing Diplomacy 85
4. Indian Tradition and Diplomatic Custom 129
5. The Bonds between People, Land, and Culture 161
Conclusion 181
Notes 191
Bibliography 227
Index 249

Illustrations
Maps
1. Cherokee pre- removal territorial losses by
time period, from ca. 1700 15
2. Cherokee country, ca. 1825 16
3. Iroquois- Haudenosaunee lands, ca. 1500 17
4. Iroquois reservations in the northeastern United
States and Canada, ca. 1800 18
Following page 160
Illustrations
1. Letter from the president of the Seneca Nation, November 7, 1849
2. Letter from Seneca chiefs, January 25, 1849
3. Seneca letter, February 19, 1855
4. Seneca letter, April 6, 1840
5. Another page from the letter from Seneca chiefs, January 25, 1849
6. Seneca letter, December 20, 1851
7. Another page from the letter from the president
of the Seneca Nation, November 7, 1849
8. Cherokee letter, June 9, 1838