Alabama Department of Archives & HistoryPublished on Oct 23, 2017SUBSCRIBE 1.9KThe Creek Nation was once one of the largest and most powerful Indian groups in the Southeast. At their peak, the Creeks controlled millions of acres of land in the present-day states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Much of this land, however, was lost or stolen as the federal government sought land for white settlement after the American Revolution. By the mid-1830s, most Creeks were relocated west to Indian Territory. This month, Dr. Christoper Haveman discusses the emigration, relocation, and removal of over 23,000 Creek Indians from Alabama and Georgia between 1825 and 1836. His presentation will focus on diplomatic efforts to stave off removal, as well as the experiences of the Creek people as they made the long and dangerous journey to present-day Oklahoma. Dr. Christopher D. Haveman holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University, a Master of Arts from Marquette University, and a Master of Arts and PhD in History from Auburn University. He has focused extensively on the history of southeastern Native American tribes and is the author of Rivers of Sand: Creek Indian Emigration, Relocation, and Ethnic Cleansing in the American South (University of Nebraska Press, 2016) and Bending Their Way Onward: The Creek Indians and the Long Journey West (University of Nebraska Press, 2017). Haveman is an Assistant Professor of History at The University of West Alabama.
