Red Jacket

Red Jacket, also known as Sagoyewatha, was an eloquent speaker and a chief of the Seneca tribe. When and where he was born is not exactly known, but it is believed that his place of birth was either Canoga or Kanadesaga, both places around New York. Red Jacket perhaps chose, or was given, his English name because he often wore a red coat given to him by the British around the time of the Revolutionary War. Later, Red jacket would leave the Britains that gave him his jacket and stopped participating in the war. Red Jacket was not necessarily a fighter, and was even criticized to be a coward. However, his prowess was found more in his speeches rather than in battles.

 

Red Jacket used his exceptional speaking skills to help defend and keep the Seneca nation alive. After the Revolutionary War, Red Jacket went to the then young American Government in 1792 to help with negotiations between the Seneca nation and America. At this delegation, which was in Philadelphia, Red Jacket was given a peace medal from George Washington. Later, in 1805, Red Jacket spoke to the Senate and defended his religion after a Boston missionary wanted to convert the Seneca nation. Red jacket proposed that since Americans had already taken so much from the Seneca and even given them terrible diseases and introduced them to alcohol, which he would later fall to, then they should be able to at least keep their religion.

 

In Red Jacket’s older age, he fought in war, gave more speeches, and got married and remarried. Specifically, Red Jacket participated in the War of 1812. While in his sixties, he finally disproved the rumors that he was a coward. He was able to do this by bravely fighting in many battles. Later, in 1819, Red Jacket yet again defended the Seneca nation when, in a speech, he refused to sell Buffalo Creek away. Around this time, Red Jacket had been divorced and remarried to his second wife, Awaogoh. However, he divorced her in 1826 because she converted to Christianity, thus showing his determination to stick to his beliefs. Finally, Red Jacket died on January 20, 1830. Despite his resilience, Red Jacket’s funeral was possibly buried near a church. It is hard to know exactly because there are different accounts of his funeral. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that Red Jacket was one of the greatest Indian orators in early American history and was able to help defend his beliefs, in spite of possible changes in the entire Seneca nation.