The History of the Indian Tribes of North America is a three-volume collection of Native American biographies and accompanying lithograph portraits, originally published in the United States from 1836 to 1844 by Thomas McKenney and James Hall. The majority of the portraits were first painted in oil by Charles Bird King. McKenney was working as the US Superintendent of Indian Trade and would head the Office of Indian Affairs, both within the War Department. He planned publication of the biographical project to be supported by private subscription, as was typical for publishing of the time.

Believing that Native Americans were threatened as a race, McKenney wanted to preserve a record of their leaders for government archives, as well as to share it with the American people. He commissioned Charles Bird King to paint portraits of leaders who came to Washington to negotiate treaties, and James Hall to write biographies of them. The publication project incorporated lithographs made from the paintings.

Background From about 1821,Dates according to the list of paintings given by the Library of Congress Thomas McKenney, the U.S. Superintendent of Indian Trade within the War Department, started to commission portraits from Charles Bird King of American Indians who had traveled to Washington, D.C. as delegates to negotiate treaties with the federal government. McKenney continued this project as head of the Office of Indian Affairs, which was also within the War Department. King painted portraits of American Indians up to 1837. Additional painters commissioned to paint portraits included James Otto Lewis, Peter Rindisbacher, and Henry Inman.

McKenney said he wanted to preserve "in the archives of the Government whatever of the aboriginal man can be rescued from the destruction which awaits his race." He believed that American Indians were threatened as a people by the expansion of European-American society. Aware that there was ill feeling against them by those who wanted their land, he said the American Indians should be "looked upon as human beings, having bodies and souls like ours."

The growing collection of portraits was first housed in the United States Department of War, which then had responsibility for Indian Affairs. In 1858, the original oil paintings were moved to The Castle, the Smithsonian Institution's first building. It was also used as a repository and gallery for artworks.

Publication To reach a wider public, McKenney commissioned lithographs of the paintings, with each portrait to be supported by a full biography of the subject. The full project was envisioned to be published in three volumes. To research and write those, McKenney commissioned James Hall (1793–1868), a judge and Treasurer of the State of Illinois, who was known as a writer.Jennifer Anderson, Thomas L. McKenney & James Hall , "Art & Architecture of New Jersey" website. Hall had difficulty in developing the biographies, as McKenney never provided promised source material. Hall spent eight years tracking and researching the subjects, about whom McKenney had provided little more than names.

The subscription price of $120 for the whole set had seemed high at the beginning of the project, but it was not enough to defray the costs incurred during the exacting production process of the original folio volumes. The Panic of 1837 caused widespread financial distress, and many subscribers to the Folio were unable to pay for their subscriptions. At that time, McKenney withdrew completely from the project.

Hall and a new publisher (D. Rice & A N Hart) brought the series to completion, with the final installment appearing in January 1844. This was long after McKenney had thought he could first publish the portrait/biography project. In the end, it had a total of 1,250 subscribers.

1865 fire at the Smithsonian In the winter of 1865, workers relocating the portraits brought in a wood-burning stove to provide warmth, and vented the stovepipe into a ventilation shaft which they mistook for a flue. After two weeks, a full fire had ignited in the ventilation shaft. The second floor was engulfed, and the roof of the Castle subsequently collapsed.

It was the most catastrophic fire in the Smithsonian's history: 295 of the original Indian portraits were consumed; only five were rescued. Although one of the painters had made a few copies of his favorite portraits for himself, nearly all of the portraits would have been irretrievably lost had McKenney, Hall, and their colleagues not completed the lithography and publication project. The volumes remain a record of prominent Native American leaders of the first half of the 19th century.

List of lithographs The National Museum of the American Indian catalogs the lithographs with P (print) numbers P27694–P27813.

Captions are direct copies including preservation of the now-derogatory squaw to describe an Indigenous woman.

+ Lithographic plates in McKenney and Hall's History of the Indian Tribes of North America Folio Pl. Code Description No. 1 1 P27694 War Dance of the Sauk and Foxes No. 1 2 P27695 Red-Jacket, Seneca War Chief No. 1 3 P27696 Kish-Kal-Wa, a Shawanoe Chief No. 1 4 P27697 Mo-Hon-Go, an Osage Woman No. 1 5 P27698 Shin-Ga-Ba-W'ossin, a Chippeway Chief No. 1 6 P27699 Push-Ma-Ta-Ha, a Choctaw Warrior No. 2 1 P27700 Tens-Kwau-Ta-Waw, the Prophet No. 2 2 P27701 Esh-Ta-Hum-Leah, a Sioux Chief No. 2 3 P27702 Waa-Pa-Shaw, a Sioux Chief No. 2 4 P27703 Meta-Koosega, a Chippeway Warrior No. 2 5 P27704 Wesh-Cubb, a Chippeway Chief No. 2 6 P27705 Little Crow, a Sioux Chief No. 3 1 P27706 Se-Quo-Yah No. 3 2 P27707 Naw-Kaw or Wood No. 3 3 P27708 Chon-Man-I-Case, an Otto half Chief No. 3 4 P27709 Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight No. 3 5 P27710 Qua-Ta-Wa-Pea or Col. Lewis. A Shawanee Chief No. 3 6 P27711 Payta Kootha, a Shawanee Warrior No. 4 1 P27712 Ki-On-Twog-Ky or Cornplanter No. 4 2 P27713 Pah-She-Pah-How No. 4 3 P27714 Caa-Tou-See, an Ojibway No. 4 4 P27715 Chippeway Squaw and Child No. 4 5 P27716 Pet-A-Le-Shar-Ro, a Pawnee Brave No. 4 6 P27717 Chono Ca Pe, an Otto Chief No. 5 1 P27718 Wa-Na-Ta, the Charger, Grand Chief of the Sioux No. 5 2 P27719 Peah-Mas-Ka, a Musquawkee Chief No. 5 3 P27720 Ca-Ta-He-Cas-Sa-Black Hoof, Principal Chief of the Shawanoes No. 5 4 P27721 Chippeway Squaw and Child No. 5 5 P27722 Okee-Maakee-Quid, a Chippeway Chief No. 5 6 P27723 Wa-Em-Boesh-Kaa, a Chippeway Chief No. 6 1 P27724 McIntosh, a Creek Chief No. 6 2 P27725 Ong-Pa-Ton-Ga, or the Big Elk, Chief of the Omahas No. 6 3 P27726 Ma-Has-Kah, or White Cloud, an Ioway Chief No. 6 4 P27727 Rant-Che-Wai-Me, or Female Flying Pigeon No. 6 5 P27728 Young Ma-Has-Kah, Chief of the Ioways No. 6 6 P27729 Ne-Sou-A-Quoit, a Fox Chief No. 7 1 P27730 Moa-Na-Hon-Ga, Great Walker, an Iowa Chief No. 7 2 P27731 Shau-Hau-Napo-Tinia, an Ioway Chief No. 7 3 P27732 Tah-Chee, a Cherokee Chief No. 7 4 P27733 A-Na-Cam-E-Gish-Ca, a Chippeway Chief No. 7 5 P27734 Wa-Bish-Kee-Pe-Nas, the White Pidgeon, a Chippewa No. 7 6 P27735 Tshusick, an Ojibway Woman No. 8 1 P27736 Major Ridge, a Cherokee Chief No. 8 2 P27737 Lap-Pa-Win-Sue, a Delaware Chief No. 8 3 P27738 Tish-Co-Han, a Delaware Chief No. 8 4 P27739 Sha-Ha-Ka, a Mandan Chief No. 8 5 P27740 To-Ka-Con, a Sioux Chief No. 8 6 P27741 Mon-Ka-Ush-Ka, a Sioux Chief No. 9 1 P27742 Hunting the Buffaloe No. 9 2 P27743 Ho-Po-Eth-Le-Yo-Ho-Lo No. 9 3 P27744 Yoholo-Micco, a Creek Chief No. 9 4 P27745 Mistippee No. 9 5 P27746 Paddy-Carr, Creek Interpreter No. 9 6 P27747 Timpoochee Barnard, an Uchee Warrior No. 10 1 P27748 Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiah, or Black Hawk a Saukie Brave No. 10 2 P27749 Kish-Ke-Kosh, a Fox Brave No. 10 3 P27750 Wa-Pel-La, Chief of the Musquakees No. 10 4 P27751 Ap-Pa-Noo-Se, Saukie Chief No. 10 5 P27752 Tai-O-Mah, a Musquakee Brave No. 10 6 P27753 Not-Chi-Me-Ne, an Ioway Chief No. 11 1 P27754 Keokuk, Chief of the Sacs & Foxes No. 11 2 P27755 Ne-O-Mon-Ne, an Ioway Chief No. 11 3 P27756 Kee-Shes-Wa, a Fox Chief No. 11 4 P27757 Tah-Ro-Hon, an Ioway Warrior No. 11 5 P27758 Wat-Che-Mon-Ne, an Ioway Chief No. 11 6 P27759 Tustennuggee Emathla or Jim Boy, a Creek Chief No. 12 1 P27760 Me-Na-Wa, a Creek Warrior No. 12 2 P27761 Wa-Baun-See, a Pottawatomie Chief No. 12 3 P27762 Chittee Yoholo, a Seminole Chief No. 12 4 P27763 Me-Te-A, a Pottawatomie Chief No. 12 5 P27764 Thayendanehea, the Great Captain of the Six Nations No. 12 6 P27765 Ahyouwaighs, Chief of the Six Nations No. 13 1 P27766 Nea-Math-La, a Seminole Chief No. 13 2 P27767 Mar-Ko-Me-Te, a Menomene Brave No. 13 3 P27768 A-Mis-Quam, a Winnebago Brave No. 13 4 P27769 Stum-Ma-Nu, a Flat-head Boy No. 13 5 P27770 Le Soldat du Chene, an Osage Chief No. 13 6 P27771 Pow-A-Sheek, a Fox Chief No. 14 1 P27772 Shar-I-Tar-Ish, a Pawnee Chief No. 14 2 P27773 Wa-Kawn-Ha-Ka, A Winnebago Chief No. 14 3 P27774 Pes-Ke-Le-Cha-Co, a Pawnee Chief No. 14 4 P27775 Hoo-Wan-Ne-Ka, a Winnebago Chief No. 14 5 P27776 Wa-Kawn, a Winnebago Chief No. 14 6 P27777 Ka-Ta-Wa-Be-Da, a Chippeway Chief No. 15 1 P27778 Foke-Luste-Hajo, a Seminole No. 15 2 P27779 John Ridge, a Cherokee No. 15 3 P27780 A-Chippeway-Widow No. 15 4 P277781 Micanopy, a Seminole Chief No. 15 5 P277782 Se-Loc-Ta, a Creek Chief No. 15 6 P27783 Kai-Pol-E-Quah, White Nosed Fox No. 16 1 P27784 Aseola, a Seminole Leader No. 16 2 P27785 Yaha-Hajo, a Seminole Chief No. 16 3 P27786 Spring Frog, a Cherokee Chief No. 16 4 P27787 Tshi-Zun-Hau-Kau, a Winnebago No. 16 5 P27788 Wakechai, a Saukie Chief No. 16 6 P27789 Ka-Na-Pi-Ma, an Ottawa Chief No. 17 1 P27790 Encampment of Piekann Indians Near Fort McKenzie on the Muscleshell River No. 17 2 P27791 Po-Ca-Han-Tas No. 17 3 P27792 No-Way-Ke-Sug-Ga, Otoe No. 17 4 P27793 No-Tin, a Chippewa Chief No. 17 5 P27794 Mon-Chonsia, a Kansas Chief No. 17 6 P27795 Tah-Col-O-Quoit No. 18 1 P27796 Tuko-See-Mathla, a Seminole Chief No. 18 2 P27797 Pa-She-Nine, a Chippewa Chief No. 18 3 P27798 Oche-Finceco No. 18 4 P27799 Ledagie, a Creek Chief No. 18 5 P27800 On-Ge-Wae, a Chippewa Chief No. 18 6 P27801 Nah-Et-Luc-Hopie No. 19 1 P27802 Amiskquew, a Menominie Warrior No. 19 2 P27803 Jtcho-Tustinnuggee No. 19 3 P27804 David Vann, a Cherokee Chief No. 19 4 P27805 Julcee-Mathla, a Seminole Chief No. 19 5 P27806 Jack-O-Pa, a Chippewa Chief No. 19 6 P27807 Kee-Sha-Waa, a Fox Warrior No. 20 1 P27808 A Winnebago No. 20 2 P27809 Waa-Top-E-Not No. 20 3 P27810 Pee-Che-Kir, a Chippewa Chief No. 20 4 P27811 O-Hya-Wa-Mince-Kee, a Chippewa Chief No. 20 5 P27812 John Ross, a Cherokee Chief No. 20 6 P27813 Apauly-Tustennuggee

Gallery

References

External links

The McKenney & Hall Lithographs of Charles Bird King’s Portraits of American Indians, Smithsonian Institution McKenney & Hall Collection, Bibliothèque nationale de France McKenney & Hall Collection, University of Cincinnati libraries McKenney & Hall Collection, University of Washington libraries Native American Portraits, Exhibition, Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley McKenney & Hall Collection, University of Georgia libraries