Groups of Ohioans Interact

Prehistory, the period of time before written records.

Paleo-Indians were the first humans to settle in what is now Ohio. They arrived between 15,000 and 12,000 years ago. They were hunters and gatherers. They followed the movement of animals that they hunted for food.

Archaic Indians were the second group of prehistoric Indians who arrived in Ohio 10,000 years ago. They were also hunter and gatherers. They made baskets, pottery and copper objects.

Mound Builders (3rd group of prehistoric Indians) came some time after the Archaic Indians. They were also known as the Woodland Indians. The Adena and Hopewell Indians were Woodland Indians.

The Adena were the first to farm. They grew sunflowers, squash and other plants. They were master craftsmen who made jewelry and objects out of copper. They still hunted. This group was the first to make permanent homes and settlements. This was because they learned to farm and did not have to move to hunt as much.

The Hopewell appeared around 2,000 years ago. They lived in Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. They planted squash and other plants. They still hunted. This group traveled great distances to barter. Bartering means trading goods with other people without using money. They also build villages. The Hopewell were the first to grow corn (maize).

These groups were called mound-builders because they built mounds to bury their dead. They also used the mounds for ceremonies such as marriage.

Fort Ancient Indians grew corn, created great mounds of wood. They build the Great Serpent Mound. It was not used for burial purposes. They used bows and arrows for hunting and warfare (the first group to use bows and arrows).

Historic Indians Shawnee lived in southern Ohio. They (Shawnee, Delaware, Ottawa, Miami) spoke Algonquin language and shared similar traditions and lifestyles. They lived in wigwams (houses). Bending tree branches into dome-shaped frames to make wigwams. Then the branches were covered with the bark of birch trees. They built canoes too.

The Delaware (also known as the Lenape) lived in eastern Ohio. Both Delaware and Shawnee planted corn, beans, squash, and tobacco. They made clothing from deerskin. They continued to hunt and plant their own food. This group built longhouses that were used for public meetings.

The Ottawa lived in longhouses that were up to 100 feet long. They were traders with other Indian tribes and the European explorers. They traded furs and food in exchange for European guns and cooking utensils.

The Miami lived in villages in wigwams surrounded by their fields. They hunted, fished and farmed. They traded with other tribes in the Great Lakes region.

There were 2 groups of historic Indians in Ohio that spoke Iroquoian languages: the Ohio Seneca and Wyandot’s (also known as the Huron’s). They lived in longhouses, traveled along rivers and streams, fished in lakes. They grew corn squash and beans. They engaged in fur trade.

Cooperation Among Ohio’s Indian Tribes

Cooperation was very important for everyday life. They cooperated with each other when hunting, building settlements, and growing crops. They built mounds together and traded with each other.

Conflict Among Ohio’s Indian Tribes

Sometimes tribes fought with each other usually over hunting rights. Wooden fences made of sharpened sticks surrounded some settlements.

Migrating Settlers and Immigrants

European explorers and settlers came to North America after Columbus’ voyage in 1492.

Rene Robert de la Salle was the first European explorer to come to Ohio. He arrived in 1669. La Salle claimed the region for France.

French and Indian War French and British colonists both became interested in Ohio by the 1750’s. The French built their forts along the Great Lakes including the Ohio region. They were fur trappers and traded with the Indians to obtain furs to sell in Europe.

The British colonies were interested in moving into this region.

Both the French and British wanted the same area of land and this conflict was one reason for the start of the French and Indian War (1755-1763). This war is also known as the Seven Years War. The Native Americans joined with the French to fight against the British.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

After the French and Indian war the British settlers and the Indians in the territory got along well at first. The Indians welcomed trade with the colonists. They really wanted the European guns, gunpowder, rum and cloth.

The British settlers wanted to farm the land. They wanted to own the land. This created conflict with the Indians. In 1762, Chief Pontiac organized an uprising with other warriors against the British colonists. This rebellion was put down and peace restored.

**Note: Indians did not believe that someone could own land. It was there for everyone to use. The British and other settlers did think someone could own land. This was a major conflict and reason for many battles.

Proclamation Line of 1763 The British eventually won the French and Indian War. The territory between Lake Erie and the Ohio River now came under British rule. However, in 1763 King George III issued a proclamation that forbade the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. The purpose of this “Proclamation Line” was to protect the Indians and prevent future conflict. This proclamation contributed to the bad feelings between the colonists and the British government.

Eventually the colonists rebelled against Great Britain (the conflict will be the American Revolution).

Settlers for other parts of the US and Europe began to pour into Ohio in the years after the American Revolution (1775- 1783) They built the town of Marietta, which became the first capital of the Ohio Territory. Ohio was covered with thick forests. More settlers had new conflicts with the Indians.

Battle of Fallen Timbers In 1792, President George Washington sent General Anthony Wayne and a group of soldiers to Ohio to protect the settlers. In 1794, General Wayne defeated the Indians in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Several Indian tribes agreed to give up their claims to Ohio in the Treaty of Greenville. This treaty allowed the Indians to live only in the northwestern Ohio.

After the US achieved its independence, Europeans continued coming to America.

Newcomers from other countries were known as immigrants. In the early 1800’s many of the immigrants that settled in Ohio were from Germany, Ireland and other parts of Europe.

They were attracted to Ohio by its available farmland and a desire to build a new life.