British Indian Department
The Indian Department was established in 1755 to oversee relations between the British Empire and the First Nations of North America. The imperial government ceded control of the Indian Department to the Province of Canada in 1860, thus setting the stage for the development of the present-day Department of Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
| Indian Department | |
|---|---|
Sir William Johnson at the Battle of Lake George (1755) | |
| Active | 1755–1860 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Role | Diplomacy Guerrilla warfare Reconnaissance |
| Engagements | Seven Years' War (1755-1760) Pontiac's War (1763-1765) Revolutionary War (1775-1782) Northwest Indian War (1785-1795) War of 1812 (1811-1815) Canadian Rebellion (1837-1838) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Sir William Johnson Captain Joseph Brant Sir John Johnson Major John Norton |
During its existence, the Indian Department served both a diplomatic and a military role. Its daily responsibilities were largely civil in nature, such as the administration of justice, the management of the fur trade, and the employment of blacksmiths, teachers, and missionaries. At the same time, the Department was expected to mobilize and lead Indigenous warriors in times of crisis and conflict.
Theoretically, control over the Indian Department rested with the senior-most administrator in British America, initially the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in North America, and later the Governor General of the Canadas. In practice, Indian Affairs were managed by the senior officers of the Indian Department themselves, upon whose advice the Governors General depended.