Nea-Math-La, A Seminole Chief
Datec. 1865
Artist
Charles Bird King
(American painter, 1785–1862)
Publisher
Rice, Rutter & Co.
(Philadelphia publisher, 19th century)
Illustration CitationThe History of the Indian Tribes of North America, by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall (Philadelphia: Rice, Rutter, & Co., 1865-1870).
MediumColor lithograph
Dimensionssheet: 9 15/16 × 6 3/4 in. (25.2 × 17.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of Helen Farr Sloan, 1978
Object number1978-508
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPRINT
Label TextA leader of the Red Stick Creeks, Nea-Math-La (1750s–1841) fought to prevent the expansion of White settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains. He aligned with the British during the War of 1812, attacking targets in Florida and southern Georgia. After the war, he returned to the Creek nation, becoming an important leader. Following an unsuccessful revolt in 1836, he was forced to walk, with other Creeks, to Oklahoma. This forced migration would become known as The Trail of Tears.A portrait painter based in Washington, D.C., King painted many Native American leaders when they visited the nation's capital. His portraits were reproduced as lithographs for the three-volume publication History of the Indian Tribes of North America.
