George Washington Peace Medal
The first treaty signed by the new United States government after George Washington became president was the Treaty of New York (1790) with the Creek Indian Nation. The treaty called for the Creek Indian Nation to cede 3 million acres to the United States in exchange for protection of the remaining Creek land. This medal was given to one of the six principal Creek chiefs at the conclusion of the treaty. Accompanying armbands bear the stamp of Daniel Van Voorhis, a New York silversmith. The medal appears to be the only surviving one from the first set of presidential treaty medals - the beginning of a tradition that continued into the late 1800s. Both the medal and accompanying armbands were found in 1929 by amateur archaeologist H.H. Paulin "near the falls of the Tallapoosa" and later presented to the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Date: 1790
Repository: Alabama Department of Archives and History
Format: Medal
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ALCOS Social Studies Content Standard:
Grade 3: Standard(s) 6
Grade 4: Standard(s) 2
Grade 10: Standard(s) 7 8
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