Family Links

Men who signed treaties on behalf of the U.S. were related to one another by blood and marriage to a surprising extent. Among the signers of many treaties were siblings, fathers and sons, cousins and in-laws. Extensive kinship groups in some cases include nearly 50 closely related treaty signers. These family ties were significant because they shaped U.S.-Indian policy and directed the flow of corporate profits. A single large kinship group might include land speculators, fur traders, mine owners, and the politicians who legislated Indian policy and handed out trading and mining licences. 

Among the many families that connect treaty signers to one another, five of the larger or more prominent kinship groups are featured here. These five families alone include 122 treaty signers who account for 515 signatures on treaties. They were present at 45% of all treaties, from the first land cession in the east to the final treaties in the west. In addition to these large families, 25 smaller family trees are available below.