What were the causes and effects of the Battle of Fallen Timbers?

The Battle of Fallen Timbers involved a battle by the
United States Army against natives in the Northwest Territory. President George
Washington had appointed Anthony Wayne as the commander of the United States Army of the
Northwest. In 1792, this army was serving in the Northwest
Territory.

The principal objective of this army
was to defend American settlers from attack by Native Americans. The Battle of Fallen
Timbers was the last battle of the Northwest Indian War, which took place from
1785-1795.

In 1794, General Wayne defeated
Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket's confederacy near today what we know as Toledo, Ohio. General
Wayne’s army comprised 3,000 men.

The causes of
this battle were George Washington’s desire to secure victory after earlier defeats of
General Josiah Harmar and General Arthur St. Clair by Native Americans. The British were
supporting the Indians as they fought battles with the
Americans.

In 1785, in Ohio, a number of Native
American tribes banded together. This coming together resulted in the formation of the
Western Confederacy. This Confederacy determined that the Ohio River would be suitable
as a border between their lands and the United States. The Western Confederacy commenced
a string of raids south of the Ohio into Kentucky to discourage settlement. These raids
occurred in the mid 1780’s.

Therefore, in
essence, the cause of the Battle of Fallen Timbers was an effort to put an end to the
attacks of the Confederacy (Blue Jacket, Little Turtle, Buckongahelas, as well as 1,500
men).

The effects of this battle were that the
Western Confederacy was overthrown; the Confederacy did not receive help from the
British as the British decided it needed to avoid a fight with the Americans, and
General Wayne ordered the torching of all the villages and crops in the
region.

Further effects of the Battle of Fallen
Timbers include General Wayne losing 33 soldiers. In addition, 100 were wounded. The
final outcome or effect of the Battle of Fallen Timbers is that it resulted in the
creation of, and the signing of the Treaty of Greenville (1795). This Treaty terminated
the fight. Furthermore it eliminated all Western Confederacy claims to Ohio and the
neighboring lands.