Nearby city: Toledo, OH
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War (1786-1795) fought between the US Army and a number of united Native American Tribes (Huron, Iroquois, Shawnee, Delaware, Miami, etc.) known today as the Northwestern Confederacy. The US victory at the battle paved the way to the signing of the Treaty of Greenville and opened up the Northwest Territory to US settlement.
The Northwest Territory was a vast expanse of land covering area north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River (roughly covering the present-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota).
After the conclusion of the American Revolution and the Treaty of Paris of 1783, the British ceded this territory to the upstart country. However, the British retained a number of forts in the area (particularly forts near the Great Lakes), and supported the Native American tribes' efforts to prevent American settlement of the area. Many US settlers were eager to stake out land in this wild frontier. This enroachment on long-held Native American land led to a number of conflicts between settlers and the tribes. In 1790, President George Washington and Secretary of War Henry Knox decided to send the US regular Army into the Northwest Territory to subdue the tribes and open up permanent American settlement in the area. Chiefs Blue Jacket and Little Turtle united several tribes to fight against the invading army. The British Empire, still stinging from its defeat to the Americans, was more than happy to help supply and support these tribes with arms.
The war started out very badly for the US Army. After attempts by Generals Josiah Harmar and Arthur St. Clair were thrawted by the Northwestern Confederacy, Washington appointed General "Mad" Anthony Wayne to lead the US Army. General Wayne had served with distinction during the American Revolution at Valley Forge, the Battle of Stony Point, and the Yorktown campaign. General Wayne combined forces with Charles Scott's Kentucky militia and met a number of tribal warriors on a wooded field near present-day Toledo, Ohio on August 20, 1794. The battle became known as "Fallen Timbers" because a tornado had come through the area a few weeks before the battle and toppled a bunch of trees to the ground.
Wayne's army successfully routed the Northwestern Confederacy. After the crushing battle, Little Turtle decided it was time to try to cooperate with the Americans and sue for peace. The US victory essentially ended active hostilies in the Northwest Territory. After the winter of 1794-1795, a US delegation (including General Wayne, future-preseident William Henry Harrison, and explorers William Clark and Meriwether Lewis) met with Chiefs Blue Jacket, Little Turtle, and others to hammer out a peace treaty. The Treaty of Greenville was signed in August 1795 (a year after the Battle) and later ratified by the US Senate in December 1795. The Treaty opened up nearly 2/3 of present-day Ohio to American settlement and the tribes recognized American sovereignty over the land. Additionally, the British pulled out of all forts they had in the area and ceded them to American control. In exchange, the US agreed to respect Tribal lands in the rest of the Northwest Territory.
A number of chiefs were distrustful of the Americans, unhappy with the terms of the treaty, and roundly criticized Little Turtle and the other "peace chiefs" who signed the agreement. One of the these tribal leaders was a Shawnee Chief named Tecumseh. Tecumseh refused to sign the agreement. Tecumseh's concerns proved prescient, because by the early 19th century, many US settlers began to encroach on tribal land beyond the treaty line. Unrest ensued, culminating in the Battle of Tippecanoe of 1811 in present-day Indiana. Tecumseh and his followers sided with the British in the War of 1812. But Tecumseh would die for his cause in the Battle of the Thames in Ontario on October 5, 1813. By 1840, nearly all tribal peoples had been expelled from the Northwest Territory and relocated to lands west of the Mississippi River.
Today, the Ohio Historical Society, Toledo MetroParks, and the National Park Service established the Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site and jointly manage the site to perserve its historical significance.
Take the short trail through the wooded grove to learn all about the battle.
This trip marked Tara's first time in the state of Ohio. She has now been to 46 states! (only 4 more to go: Iowa, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York). 😀
On the other side of the road, you can see more of the Park and learn more about the battle. For many years, it was thought that the battle was fought on this plain (based on a journal written by a British mercernary). However, in 1995, archaeological findings confirmed that the battle was actually fought about a mile to the north (where the pictures above were taken).
this spot marks where Turkey Foot, an Ottawa Chief, was mortally wounded during the battle.
Statue depicting General "Mad" Anthony Wayne flanked by a Native American scout and a frontiersman
The site also includes the ruins of Fort Miami. We did not have time to explore that area of the NPS unit.
If in the area, it's worth a short stop to walk the grounds and learn about the battle.
