Washington Treaty (1836)
The Treaty of Washington was signed in Washington, DC on March 28, 1836 by Henry Schoolcraft , a United States Indian commissioner , and several MPs from the Ottawa and Anishinabe ( Native Americans ) and ratified on May 27, 1836. With this treaty, the tribes ceded an area comprising approximately 13,837,207 acres (55,997 km²) in the northwestern portion of the Lower Michigan Peninsula and the eastern portion of the Michigan Upper Peninsula . This area represents approximately 37% of the current Michigan state land area.
The boundary began on the north side of the mouth of the Grand River and then followed the river east to the meeting boundaries described in the earlier treaties ( Treaty of Chicago 1821 and Treaty of Saginaw 1819). At this point, Boston Township is now in Ionia County between Saranac and Lowell . From there, the border ran in a direct line to the upper reaches of the Thunder Bay River in Albert Township in the southern part of Montmorency County between Lewiston and Atlanta . Then it went to the river to its mouth in the Huron Sea and from there northeast to the international border between the United States and Canada . Following the international border through the St. Marys River to a point on Lake Superior north of Gitchy Seebing or the Chocolay River (referred to in the Treaty as the "Chocolate River") in the northeast corner of Chocolay Township in Marquette County , just southeast of Marquette , Michigan. From there the river went to its upper reaches in the northeast corner of Forsyth Township , a few miles northeast of Gwinn . The border then ran in a direct line to the upper reaches of the Escanaba River (referred to in the treaty as the "Skonawba River of Green Bay") and then along the south bank of the river to its mouth north of Escanaba at Little Bay de Noc . From there through the fairway into the Bay of Green Bay and through Lake Michigan to a point west of the mouth of the Grand River. At the end to the east to the starting point.
Some of the Native Americans who signed the treaty were killed by other Native Americans, which allegedly happened because of their participation.