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Imperial Intentions and Independent Interests: the Ohio Company of Virginia and Its Agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, 1748--1752

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Imperial Intentions and Independent Interests: the Ohio Company of Virginia and Its Agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, 1748--1752 Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2011 Imperial Intentions and Independent Interests: The Ohio Company of Virginia and its Agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, 1748--1752 Emily S. Hager West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Hager, Emily S., "Imperial Intentions and Independent Interests: The Ohio Company of Virginia and its Agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, 1748--1752" (2011). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 704. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/704 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Imperial Intentions and Independent Interests: The Ohio Company of Virginia and its Agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, 1748-1752. Emily S. Hager Thesis submitted to Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Tyler Boulware, Ph.D., Chair Joseph Hodge, Ph.D. Brian Luskey, Ph.D. Department of History Morgantown, West Virginia 2011 Keywords: The Ohio Company of Virginia, Thomas Cresap, Christopher Gist, Agents of Empire, British Expansion, Borderlands, ABSTRACT Imperial Intentions and Independent Interests: The Ohio Company of Virginia and its Agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, 1748-1752. Emily S. Hager Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, two common men from Maryland, began working for the Ohio Company of Virginia in 1748, in an attempt to expand the British Empire’s claim in the Ohio River Valley by enlarging the colony of Virginia. This thesis analyses these two agents of empire and their trade and diplomacy with the Indians of the Ohio Valley, as well as their mapping and surveying. This thesis argues that these two “on the ground” agents were building the British Empire, through their work for the Ohio Company of Virginia. However, this was not their only imperial tie, there were many formal and informal ties that bound the Ohio Company to governmental officials. These ties often make it difficult to determine if Cresap and Gist were bring employed by the Ohio Company or the British Empire. This thesis explains the relationship between the Ohio Company, the Ohio Company employees and the British Empire and how the independent interests of the employees and the Company, made it possible for the British to expand into the Ohio River Valley, and compete in the race for empire in North America. Dedication For the local and public historians of western Maryland, who refused to let local history fade. Acknowledgements Many individuals made this thesis possible. Jilla Smith encouraged me to pursue this topic, and gave me the priceless gift of confidence. Bob Bantz led me to rare resources, but more importantly, he gave his time. Hiking Braddock’s road with Mr. Bantz, who knows the locations of skirmishes, deaths and graves, allowed me an unprecedented connection to the past. Dr. Tyler Boulware, Dr. Joseph Hodge and Dr. Brian Luskey introduced me to new ideas challenged my concept of “history.” Their guidance in navigating graduate school was invaluable. Most of all, I thank my family for their love and support. Also, I thank Brian Kasecamp, my fiancé, who, I am sure, has learned far more about Thomas Cresap than he ever desired. Finally, I thank my father, Dr. Charles Hager, who is confidant, editor, and sounding board. Without his guidance, this thesis never would have reached completion. Table of Contents Chapter One Introduction ........................................................................................1 Chapter Two Crown and Company................................................................ 10 Chapter Three On the Ground Agents........................................................................ 38 Chapter Four Epilogue............................................................................................ 74 Bibliography..................................................................................................................... 79 Appendix.......................................................................................................................... 82 Curriculum Vitae .............................................................................................................. 85 iiii Chapter One Introduction “Fathers, Both you and the English are white, we live in a Country between; therefore the Land belongs to neither one nor t’other: But the Great Being above allow’d it to be a place of Residence for us so Fathers, I desire you to withdraw, as I have done our Brothers the English; for I will keep you at Arms length: I lay this down as a Trial for both, to see which will have the greatest Regard to it, and that side we will stand by, and make equal Sharers with us.” Tanaghrisson1 This speech given to the French Captain Marin in 1753, speaks volumes about the situation in the Ohio Country.2 As Tanaghrisson so eloquently phrased, the “Country between” was highly contested. As the British and French pushed into the Ohio Country, the Iroquois, Twightwee and Shawnee did their best to keep the Europeans at bay.3 Despite the diplomacy of Indians such as Tanaghrisson, the British and French governments were unwilling to halt their expansionary activities due to their fear of falling behind in the race for empire and losing the monetary benefits of conquering the North American continent. Due to the diverse number of people who had an interest in the Ohio Country, empire building there was not monolithic. Each country and colony had its own method, objective, 1 The Spelling of the “Half-King’s” name varies so many times in various publications and primary sources that it would be impractical to list the variations. Tanaghrisson is the spelling that is used here. 2 Francis Jennings, Empire of Fortune (New York, W.W. Norton Co.: 1988) 46. This speech, which was given to the French Marin, was actually recorded by George Washington. 3 “Twightwee” is often spelled “Twightwee” and often are simply called “Miami”. This paper follows Christopher Gist’s lead and employees the term “Twightwee.” 1 and reason for pushing into the Ohio River Valley. Although the British were greatly interested in obtaining these lands, no British governmental officials roamed the backcountry of the American Colonies. Instead, traders, trappers and debtors were the only British subjects present. This thesis shows that some of the “common men” who lived and toiled in the Ohio Region actively worked for the expansion of the British Empire and that their actions led in part to the international conflict known as the Seven Years’ War.4 These white traders did far more than carry goods from the coast to the Ohio Valley; they literally shaped the British Empire. They claimed lands, engaged in diplomacy and sent reports across the Atlantic. Their letters, journals and maps determined the politics of Britain, and hence, shaped international events. This thesis examines the imperial nature of two backwoodsmen from 1748 until 1752 through an investigation of one of the earliest land speculation companies in Colonial America, the Ohio Company of Virginia. The study of two individuals, Thomas Cresap, one of the founding members, and Christopher Gist, the Company’s most important employee, are the means of proving that the actions of common men drove British expansion in the mid- 1700s. Gist and Cresap, via their actions in pursuit of commercial enterprise for the Ohio Company of Virginia, influenced the imperial contest on the trans-Appalachian frontier, and in turn, their actions led to the clash between Britain and France over the interior of North America. These two agents of empire stretched the connections of the British Empire westward to the Appalachian Mountains and beyond. Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, through their connection to the Ohio Company of Virginia, engaged in empire building during 4 Stephen Aron and Jeremy Adelmen, “From Borders and Borderlands.” American Historical Review (June, 1999), 814. Borderland in this thesis means a disputed area of land where multiple parties have land claims, but ownership has not yet been determined. This term will be discussed at length further in the introduction. 2 this time period. This thesis shows that the backcountries and its inhabitants warrant an active role in the studies of the British Empire and the international contest for the Ohio Valley. No other research has linked the capitalistic venture of the Ohio Company and the self-interested imperial activities of its agents, Thomas Cresap and Christopher Gist, to the expansion of the British Empire into the Ohio Country and the subsequent Seven Years’ War. Before the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War, the majority of the British colonists in the backwoods of the American colonies
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