Fort Defiance (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Fort Defiance was ordered built by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne
in August 1794 at the confluence of the Auglaize
and Maumee
rivers. It was the last of a line of defenses constructed by American forces in the campaign leading to the Northwest Indian War
's Battle of Fallen Timbers
on August 20, 1794.
Work began on August 9, 1794 and was completed by August 17. The name reportedly was derived from a declaration Wayne made upon surveying the land around the fort: "I defy the English, Indians, and all the devils of hell to take it." The post was considered one of the strongest fortifications built in that period.
Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Wayne used Fort Defiance as his base of operations and ordered the destruction of all Native American
villages and their crops within a 50 miles (80.5 km) radius of the fort. Under terms of the Treaty of Greenville
, signed on August 3, 1795, the native nations ceded six square miles around the fort and allowed the Americans to maintain a trading post there, even though it was within the area of land defined by the "Greenville Treaty Line", beyond which Americans had agreed not to settle.
Until the War of 1812
, Fort Defiance was one of the westernmost outposts in Ohio. William Henry Harrison
used it as one base for his attacks against Native Americans during Tecumseh's War
, and the fort played a role in the War of 1812 as well.
The city of Defiance, Ohio
, was founded at the fort's location. In 1904, the site of the fort was chosen for the Defiance Public Library.
Fort Defiance served as a reference point for defining the boundary line of land cession in the Treaty of Detroit
in 1807. This north-south line would be used again as the Michigan Meridian
in the survey of lands in Michigan
.
Today, a park occupies the site of the fort, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
in August 1794 at the confluence of the Auglaize
Auglaize River
The Auglaize River is a tributary of the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Erie. The name of the river either comes from a Shawnee phrase meaning "fallen timbers" or a French term for "frozen water."It rises in...
and Maumee
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
rivers. It was the last of a line of defenses constructed by American forces in the campaign leading to the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...
's Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory...
on August 20, 1794.
Work began on August 9, 1794 and was completed by August 17. The name reportedly was derived from a declaration Wayne made upon surveying the land around the fort: "I defy the English, Indians, and all the devils of hell to take it." The post was considered one of the strongest fortifications built in that period.
Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Wayne used Fort Defiance as his base of operations and ordered the destruction of all Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
villages and their crops within a 50 miles (80.5 km) radius of the fort. Under terms of the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
, signed on August 3, 1795, the native nations ceded six square miles around the fort and allowed the Americans to maintain a trading post there, even though it was within the area of land defined by the "Greenville Treaty Line", beyond which Americans had agreed not to settle.
Until the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Fort Defiance was one of the westernmost outposts in Ohio. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
used it as one base for his attacks against Native Americans during Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh...
, and the fort played a role in the War of 1812 as well.
The city of Defiance, Ohio
Defiance, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...
, was founded at the fort's location. In 1904, the site of the fort was chosen for the Defiance Public Library.
Fort Defiance served as a reference point for defining the boundary line of land cession in the Treaty of Detroit
Treaty of Detroit
The Treaty of Detroit was a treaty between the United States and the Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot and Potawatomi Native American nations. The treaty was signed at Detroit, Michigan on November 17, 1807, with William Hull, governor of the Michigan Territory and superintendent of Indian affairs the sole...
in 1807. This north-south line would be used again as the Michigan Meridian
Michigan Meridian
The Michigan Meridian is the meridian used as a reference in the Michigan Survey, the survey of the U.S. state of Michigan in the early 19th century. It is located at 84 degrees, 22 minutes and 24 seconds west longitude at its northern terminus at Sault Ste...
in the survey of lands in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Today, a park occupies the site of the fort, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.