The 1816 Treaty of Fort St. Stephens transferred millions of acres of Choctaw land in present-day Alabama to the United States despite Choctaw military service alongside American forces.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- October 24, 1816
- Land ceded
- 10,000 acres east of Tombigbee River
- Annual U.S. payment
- $16,000 for twenty years USD
- Merchandise payment on signing
- $10,000 USD
- Key U.S. influencer
- Andrew Jackson, acting through John Coffee
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Choctaw had allied with the United States during the Creek War (1813–1814) and at the Battle of New Orleans (1815). Despite this military cooperation, the U.S. government pressed for additional land cessions, and Andrew Jackson used his influence over negotiator John Coffee to dominate the proceedings on behalf of the United States.
On October 24, 1816, U.S. and Choctaw representatives signed the Treaty of Fort St. Stephens at the Choctaw trading house. The Choctaw ceded land east of the Tombigbee River in exchange for an annual U.S. payment of $16,000 for twenty years and $10,000 in merchandise upon signing.
The treaty transferred millions of acres of Choctaw territory in present-day Alabama, including the area of modern Tuscaloosa, to the United States. It advanced the broader U.S. policy of pressuring southeastern tribes into land cessions, further eroding Choctaw territorial holdings in the region.
Political Outcome
Choctaw ceded land east of the Tombigbee River; United States agreed to annual payments of $16,000 for twenty years and $10,000 in merchandise at signing.
Choctaw held land east of the Tombigbee River in present-day Alabama
United States gained millions of acres of Choctaw territory including present-day Tuscaloosa