Opothleyahola, factionalism, and Creek politicsShow full item record
Title | Opothleyahola, factionalism, and Creek politics |
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Author | White, Christine Schultz |
Date | 1986 |
Genre | Dissertation |
Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
Abstract | Opothleyahola, one of the most notable leaders of the Creek Confederacy, was born in 1798. A member of the most powerful confederacy in the Southeast, he lived in a world of mounting change and conflict. Growing contact between the Creeks and the whites created pressure on the confederacy's social and governmental structure. This clash of cultures increased throughout Opothleyahola's life, splitting the tribesmen into hostile groups. Repeatedly, Creek factionalism weakened the confederacy and led to warfare and death. First as a warrior in the Creek War of 1813 and 1814, then as an orator, Opothleyahola worked to secure the supremacy of his Upper Creek faction. He gained power and influence in negotiations with the federal government. Always maintaining the traditional Indian view, he opposed the sale of territorial lands and fought against those who surrendered the Creek homelands. When the Lower Creek McIntosh faction illegally ceded Creek territory, Opothleyahola argued for the execution of these leaders. Achieving the status of "Prime Minister" of the confederacy, Opothleyahola fought the removal of his people from Georgia and Alabama. Finally convinced of the inevitability of removal to the West, Opothleyahola led his people to Indian Territory in 1836. Having forfeited much of their material wealth, the Creeks struggled to establish new homes in the West. Gradually succeeding in farming and stock raising, the tribesmen rebuilt their economy. During the 1850's, Opothleyahola was known as the richest man in Indian Territory. Yet even in their new homes factionalism arose to threaten the confederacy. Hounded by Lower Creeks and the Southern army during the Civil War, Opothleyahola tried to secure a haven for his pro-Union tribesmen. Leading a force of Creeks, Seminoles, and other Indians, he fled northward toward sanctuary in Union-held Kansas. Skirmishing with the Southern troops, the now elderly orator struggled to delay his pursuers. Finally overwhelmed in battle, he led his remaining band through snow and ice to the Kansas border. Defeated in body and spirit, Opothleyahola died in early 1863. Throughout his life, Opothleyahola worked to secure a haven for his people. But he faced insurmountable odds--the overwhelming forces of the white man and the ever present threat of internal factionalism. Opothleyahola's role in Creek politics illustrates the factions within the tribe and also chronicles the history of Creek-white relations for more than sixty years. |
Link | https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/33596 |
Department | History |
Advisor | Edmunds, R. David |
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Doctoral Dissertations [1524]
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