Question

Why did the Five Civilized Tribes side with the Confederates during the Civil War?

A) Because the State of Oklahoma was in the South.
B) Because they were forced to by the Plains tribes.
C) Because they had slaves and supported slave labor.
D) Because the Dawes Act offered incentives for joining.

Answer 1

The Five Civilized Tribes sided with the Confederates mainly due to their economic reliance on slavery, similar to the Southern states, and the Confederate promises of sovereignty and military protection following the Union withdrawal from Indian Territory.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Five Civilized Tribes, which included the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creeks, Seminole, and Cherokees, allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War for several reasons. Although each tribe faced its own unique circumstances, common factors influencing their decision were their adoption of slavery, economic interests similar to Southern white settlers, and the geopolitical situation of the Indian Territory. The Confederacy offered recognition of their sovereignty and governmental structures, which were modelled after the American system, and many tribes also recognized their economic dependency on slavery, similar to the Confederate states. Moreover, the Union's withdrawal from Indian Territory left a power vacuum that the Confederates were quick to fill, promising military protection and compelling the Five Tribes to reconsider their loyalties.

The tribes that did join the Confederacy were partially motivated by their own practice of slavery. Tribes like the Cherokee and Choctaw had acculturated to American society and embraced practices such as slave owning and cotton farming. Several of the Five Civilized Tribes saw a common cause with the Confederacy against the Union, particularly as the Confederacy allowed them to send delegates to the Confederate Congress. Even within the tribes, there was division, with slaveholders typically supporting the Confederacy and non-slaveholders often siding with the Union.

The Civil War in Indian Territory created a complex dynamic among the Five Civilized Tribes, with slavery at the forefront of the contention. This alliance with the Confederacy would later shape the political landscape and the status of former slaves within these Tribal Nations post-war. The Five Civilized Tribes' decision was influenced by their history of forced removal, acculturation, and desire to maintain sovereignty in the face of political upheaval.