"Washington & Fairfax at a War-Dance," engraved by John Rogers (American c 1808-c 1888) after John McNevin, (British active 1848) c 1857. Baltimore Museum of Art
Washington was born into a world in which native peoples were still major players in the Americas, despite having suffered through three centuries of European diseases, dispossession, & warfare. Throughout his life, Washington negotiated with & served alongside Native peoples, fought against others, & sought their land for his own prosperity.
George Washington's 1st recorded encounter with Native Americans occurred while on a surveying trip in 1748 when he was 16 years old. Noting in his journal on March 23, at about 2:00 pm: we were agreeably surpris’d at the sight of thirty odd Indians coming from War
During the French & Indian War, Washington spent the majority of his army service in Indian country & had the opportunity to interact with Native Americans from many nations. He grew to appreciate Native warriors’ military tactics he saw first-hand & later implemented some of them during the Revolutionary War. As commander-in-chief, Washington instructed armed forces to attack native nations allied with the British or who resisted American expansion.
By the time of his presidency, Washington & many of his contemporaries had come to believe that Native Americans had no choice but to assimilate into American society or face extinction. He also spoke of wanting to create policies based on "principles of Justice & humanity" towards native nations but the stability of the young republic & its citizens was his clear priority.
Washington himself lived in a multi-lingual world that included people speaking numerous Algonquin, Iroquoian, & Siouxan languages & dialects. His actions on behalf of the British government & later the United States affected Native peoples in often tragic ways.
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