All War of 1812

Gomo and his brother Senachwine were orphaned as children and raised by a French trader in Peoria. In time, he returned to the Potawatomi and eventually became the senior chief among the Illinois River villages. Tension created by expansion of American settlement and Native American resistance led to negotiations between Gomo and Ninian Edwards, the territorial governor. The Americans reminded Read more...

In October 1812, Ninian Edwards, Territorial Governor of Illinois, launched a three-pronged attack on Native American villages at Peoria Lake. He believed the villages harbored warriors who had attacked American settlements. Edwards led a horse-mounted force and destroyed Black Partridge’s village on the east side of the lake. On November 5, 1812, Captain Thomas Craig arrived by boat at the Read more...

Following the American Revolution, many American settlers moved westward along the Ohio River into Native American territory creating tension and conflict. Native Americans defended their territory; American settlers demanded protection. After the Battle at Tippecanoe in northwest Indiana in November 1811, many tribes resettled along the banks of Peoria Lake. Governor Edwards believed warriors from Peoria Lake communities had attacked Read more...