Cornplanter (1738-1836)
Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A diplomat and defender of Seneca land and culture, Cornplanter allied the Iroquois Confederacy with the fledgling US after fighting for the British during the American Revolution. He arbitrated conflicts between Native Americans and settlers, though he later became disillusioned when the Nations were not treated equally and fairly. In 1796, Cornplanter and his heirs were granted three tracts of land by the state, one at present-day Oil City.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Cornplanter (1738–1836) was a Seneca war leader turned diplomat who fought for the British during the Revolution, then chose to bind the Iroquois Confederacy to the fragile new United States. In the tense years that followed, he mediated between Native nations and encroaching settlers, seeking peace even as he grew disillusioned when treaties failed to treat his people fairly. In 1796 Pennsylvania granted him and his heirs three tracts of land, including one near present-day Oil City.
Why it matters
Cornplanter embodied the wrenching choices facing Native leaders after the Revolution, as they navigated diplomacy, land loss, and survival on a rapidly shifting American frontier.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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