Jackson Purchase (U.S. historical region)
Encyclopedia
The Jackson Purchase is a region of western Tennessee
and southwestern Kentucky
, bounded by the Tennessee River
on the east, the Ohio River
on the north, and the Mississippi River
on the west, that was ceded to the United States
by the Chickasaw Peoples
in 1818.
The land was ceded after prolonged negotiations in which the United States was represented by Andrew Jackson
and Isaac Shelby
, while the Chickasaws were represented by their chiefs, head men and warriors including Levi
and George Colbert
, Chinubby (also known as the Boy King), and Tishomingo
. On October 19, 1818, the two sides agreed to the transfer by signing a treaty
(the Treaty of Tuscaloosa). The United States agreed to pay the Chickasaws $300,000, at the rate of $20,000 annually for 15 years, in return for the right to all Chickasaw land east of the Mississippi River and north of the Mississippi
state line. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate
and confirmed by President James Monroe
on January 7, 1819.
In modern geographic usage, the name "Jackson Purchase
" typically refers only to the portion of the historical region in the state
of Kentucky. The Tennessee portion of the historical region is known as "West Tennessee
."
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and southwestern Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, bounded by the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
on the east, the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
on the north, and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
on the west, that was ceded to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the Chickasaw Peoples
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
in 1818.
The land was ceded after prolonged negotiations in which the United States was represented by Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
, while the Chickasaws were represented by their chiefs, head men and warriors including Levi
Levi Colbert
Levi Colbert , also known as Itawamba, was a Native American of the Chickasaw. Colbert was called Itte-wamba Mingo, meaning bench chief...
and George Colbert
George Colbert
George Colbert was a Native American leader of the Chickasaw people in the early 19th century. He commanded 350 Chickasaw troops, whom he had recruited, as a militia captain under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War of 1813-1814. Later he joined the US Army under Jackson for the remainder of the...
, Chinubby (also known as the Boy King), and Tishomingo
Chief Tishomingo
Chief Tishomingo was one of the last full-blooded Chickasaw Chiefs. Tishomingo was born in approximately 1734 in what is now Lee County, Mississippi. He served with General Anthony Wayne against Shawnee Native Americans in the Northwest Territory and received a silver medal from president George...
. On October 19, 1818, the two sides agreed to the transfer by signing a treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
(the Treaty of Tuscaloosa). The United States agreed to pay the Chickasaws $300,000, at the rate of $20,000 annually for 15 years, in return for the right to all Chickasaw land east of the Mississippi River and north of the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
state line. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and confirmed by President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
on January 7, 1819.
In modern geographic usage, the name "Jackson Purchase
Jackson Purchase
The Jackson Purchase is a region in the state of Kentucky bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and Tennessee River to the east. Although technically part of Kentucky at its statehood in 1792, the land did not come under definitive U.S. control until 1818, when...
" typically refers only to the portion of the historical region in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Kentucky. The Tennessee portion of the historical region is known as "West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
."