1825 treaty between the United States and representatives of the Shawnee people
The 1825 Treaty of St. Louis transferred Shawnee lands near Cape Girardeau to the United States in exchange for $11,000 and material support.
Key Facts
- Date Signed
- November 7, 1825
- Date Proclaimed
- December 30, 1825
- US Representative
- William Clark
- Compensation Paid
- 11,000 dollars
- Blacksmith Lease Duration
- 5 years
- Annual Iron Provision
- 300 pounds
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The United States sought to acquire Shawnee-held lands near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as part of its broader policy of westward expansion and land consolidation in the early nineteenth century. The Shawnee Nation held territory stretching west to the Whitewater River that the federal government wished to bring under its control.
On November 7, 1825, William Clark, acting on behalf of the United States, and delegates of the Shawnee Nation signed a treaty in the St. Louis area. The Shawnee ceded their lands near Cape Girardeau westward to the Whitewater River. The agreement was formally proclaimed on December 30, 1825.
In exchange for the ceded territory, the United States paid the Shawnee $11,000 and leased them a blacksmith shop for five years, supplying all necessary tools and 300 pounds of iron annually. The treaty also formally renewed and perpetuated peace and friendship between the United States and the Shawnee Nation.
Political Outcome
The Shawnee Nation ceded lands near Cape Girardeau to the United States in exchange for $11,000 and a five-year blacksmith lease with annual iron provisions.
Shawnee Nation held lands near Cape Girardeau west to the Whitewater River
United States acquired Shawnee lands near Cape Girardeau