Indian Peace Medal
Encyclopedia
The term Indian Peace Medals is most commonly associated with circular silver
medallions distributed to Native American
tribal representatives by representatives of the United States government. They were designed and created by a man named John Reich. They were made in three sizes: small, medium and large. The largest could have a diameter of inches. The most common feature of Indian Peace Medals was the portrait of the current U.S. president
. They are often cited as a symbol of the relationships between the United States
federal government and Native Americans in the late-18th and 19th centuries. Indian Peace Medals were minted until the term of President
Andrew Johnson
ended. The relationships, governed by treaty
and ostensible good faith, were in most cases ultimately determined by force.
Following the practice established by European powers in the American colonies
, U.S. presidents
and their agents gave these medals to the chiefs
or significant warriors of Native American tribes as tokens of friendship, sometimes accompanied by explanations of newly-established U.S. sovereignty
. The best known examples were the medals carried by Lewis and Clark
on their 1804-1806 expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase
. Those were made of silver
, of various sizes, and the first to be struck as opposed to engraved. Prior to Thomas Jefferson
's time, the obverse and reverse
were separate silver sheets. The exact origin of Indian Peace Medal distribution is obscure. "Indian Peace Medals" were often typically accompanied by a token of a flag of the colonial power conducting diplomatic negotiations with the tribe.
For many years, the reverse of an Indian Peace Medal depicted clasped hands and a crossed tomahawk
and peace pipe. It also included the phrase Peace
and Friendship
. The left wrist was covered with the ornamented cuff of a military uniform
; the right wrist was bare, except in the case of Jefferson's medal, which covered the wrist with a broad metallic bracelet
with the image of an eagle
on it. The Jefferson design is also the basis for the reverse design of some 2004 nickels.
In many cases, because the medals were distributed to significant members of tribal parties, the medals became sought after symbols of power and influence within Native American tribes. While most of the medals were not distributed with holes in them, Native Americans would often perforate the medals themselves so to be worn around the neck. Indian peace medals are commonly seen in Native American portrait
ure. Once the medals became sought after by Native Americans during the period of European colonization of the Americas
, many private corporations commissioned their own medals, often featuring the president of the corporation on the face of the medal, which was to be given out by their representative. The practice of distributing medals to Native American became so commonplace at one point that government representatives reported that it was difficult to engage in diplomatic relations without them.
The production of a majority of the American medals took place at the United States Mint
in Philadelphia. As the relations between the United States government and American Indian tribes changed and a large number of unofficial medals flooded reservations, the significance of the medals declined.
The United States Mint
produces bronze
replicas of some peace medals as part of its presidential medal series.
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
medallions distributed to 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...
tribal representatives by representatives of the United States government. They were designed and created by a man named John Reich. They were made in three sizes: small, medium and large. The largest could have a diameter of inches. The most common feature of Indian Peace Medals was the portrait of the current U.S. president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. They are often cited as a symbol of the relationships between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
federal government and Native Americans in the late-18th and 19th centuries. Indian Peace Medals were minted until the term of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
ended. The relationships, governed by treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
and ostensible good faith, were in most cases ultimately determined by force.
Following the practice established by European powers in the American colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
, U.S. presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and their agents gave these medals to the chiefs
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
or significant warriors of Native American tribes as tokens of friendship, sometimes accompanied by explanations of newly-established U.S. sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
. The best known examples were the medals carried by Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
on their 1804-1806 expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
. Those were made of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, of various sizes, and the first to be struck as opposed to engraved. Prior to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's time, the obverse and reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
were separate silver sheets. The exact origin of Indian Peace Medal distribution is obscure. "Indian Peace Medals" were often typically accompanied by a token of a flag of the colonial power conducting diplomatic negotiations with the tribe.
For many years, the reverse of an Indian Peace Medal depicted clasped hands and a crossed tomahawk
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...
and peace pipe. It also included the phrase Peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and Friendship
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
. The left wrist was covered with the ornamented cuff of a military uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
; the right wrist was bare, except in the case of Jefferson's medal, which covered the wrist with a broad metallic bracelet
Bracelet
A bracelet is an article of jewelry which is worn around the wrist. Bracelets can be manufactured from metal, leather, cloth, plastic or other materials and sometimes contain jewels, rocks, wood, and/or shells...
with the image of an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
on it. The Jefferson design is also the basis for the reverse design of some 2004 nickels.
In many cases, because the medals were distributed to significant members of tribal parties, the medals became sought after symbols of power and influence within Native American tribes. While most of the medals were not distributed with holes in them, Native Americans would often perforate the medals themselves so to be worn around the neck. Indian peace medals are commonly seen in Native American portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ure. Once the medals became sought after by Native Americans during the period of European colonization of the Americas
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
, many private corporations commissioned their own medals, often featuring the president of the corporation on the face of the medal, which was to be given out by their representative. The practice of distributing medals to Native American became so commonplace at one point that government representatives reported that it was difficult to engage in diplomatic relations without them.
The production of a majority of the American medals took place at the United States Mint
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
in Philadelphia. As the relations between the United States government and American Indian tribes changed and a large number of unofficial medals flooded reservations, the significance of the medals declined.
The United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
produces bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
replicas of some peace medals as part of its presidential medal series.
External links
- Indian Peace Medals in the collection of the American Numismatic SocietyAmerican Numismatic SocietyThe American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:...
.