The Oneida People Helped Win America’s Independence
The Fourth of July marks the day the colonists declared their independence from England in 1776. The following year, the Oneida Indian Nation chose to take up the cause of their friends, the colonists, and fight as their first ally during the American Revolution. Oneida warriors fought on the side of the colonists at the important Battles of Oriskany and Saratoga in New York State, as well as the skirmish at Barren Hill in Pennsylvania.
During the harsh winter of 1777-78, the Oneida People carried their corn hundreds of miles—from their homelands in Central New York to Valley Forge in southeastern Pennsylvania—in order to provide much-needed food for General George Washington’s starving troops. An Oneida woman, Polly Cooper, then stayed behind to help the troops prepare the white corn (which differed from the yellow corn they were used to). The photo here depicts the Oneidas’ friendship with George Washington and the Oneidas’ alliance with the colonists during the Revolution. The 19-foot bronze statue (“Allies in War, Partners in Peace”) of General Washington, Polly Cooper and Oneida Chief Shenendoah stands on the fourth floor of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C. In 2002, the Oneidas contributed $10 million to helped build NMAI. Most PopularInformation, photos, video or graphics from www.OneidaIndianNation.com may not be republished, uploaded, posted or distributed in any way without the prior approval of Oneida Indian Nation Communications. Permission is for one time use only. Any use of this material must be credited to: Oneida Indian Nation.
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