HistoryData
war1794

Battle fought in 1794

August 20, 1794

Decisive U.S. victory that ended the Northwest Indian War and opened Ohio to American settlement via subsequent treaties.

Quick Facts

Year
1794
Category
war

Key Facts

Date
20 August 1794
Duration
Approximately one hour
U.S. Commander
Major General Anthony Wayne
Conflict
Final battle of the Northwest Indian War
Location feature
Tornado-felled trees near Maumee River
Follow-on treaty
Treaty of Greenville

Location

Map of Maumee, United StatesMap of Maumee, United StatesMaumee, United States

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

The Northwestern Confederacy, a coalition of Native American tribes including the Shawnee and Ottawa, contested U.S. authority over the Northwest Territory. Years of armed resistance formed the broader Northwest Indian War, with the confederacy seeking to halt American expansion into the region with tacit British support from nearby Great Lakes posts.

Event

On 20 August 1794, Major General Anthony Wayne's Legion of the United States, aided by General Charles Scott's Kentucky militia, engaged a combined Native American force under Blue Jacket and Egushawa near the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio. The battle lasted barely an hour among tornado-toppled trees and ended in a decisive U.S. victory that scattered the confederacy's forces.

Consequence

The U.S. victory effectively ended major armed resistance in the Northwest Territory. The Treaty of Greenville compelled Native American cession of most of present-day Ohio, opening it to white American settlement. The Jay Treaty simultaneously secured British withdrawal from the southern Great Lakes, removing a key source of support for the Native confederacy.

Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis

Side A

2 belligerents

United States (Legion of the United States)Kentucky Militia
Key Commanders

Anthony Wayne, Charles Scott.

Side B

1 belligerent

Northwestern Confederacy (Shawnee, Ottawa, and others)
Key Commanders

Blue Jacket, Egushawa.

Outcome
Decisive United States victory; Northwestern Confederacy scattered

Timeline Context

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