Menawa

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Menawa's portrait was painted by Charles Bird King when Menawa visited Washington, D.C. in 1826 to protest the Treaty of Indian Springs.
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Menawa's portrait was painted by Charles Bird King when Menawa visited Washington, D.C. in 1826 to protest the Treaty of Indian Springs.

Menawa, also known as Great Warrior, was a military leader of the Creek (Muscogee) people. Like many of the Creek leaders of his era, he was of mixed Scottish and American Indian ancestry. He was born about 1765 at the village of Oakfuskee located on or near the Tallapoosa River. (The site is now covered by the lower part of Lake Martin).

During the Creek War he was one of the principle leaders of the "Red Sticks" or Upper Creeks, who went to war against the United States during the War of 1812. Menewa was second in command at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend at the end of the Creek War. He was wounded seven time during the battle, but he escaped and survived his wounds.

After the war, Menawa contined to oppose the encroachment on Creek lands. He led the party that assasinated William McIntosh, who had signed Treaty of Indian Springs.

Menawa was a member of the Creek National Council that went to Washington in 1826 to oppose this treaty. The Creek leaders signed the Treaty of Washington (1826), which nullified the Treaty of Indian Springs. In this new treaty, the Creek ceeded land to Georgia—in compensation they received an immediate payment of $217,660 and a perpetual annuity of $20,000.

Menewa died during the general removal of the Creek. His burial place is unknown.

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