The Hopewell Treaty fused border-making with slavery in early United States history

Evidence

Following the Revolution, American statesmen carried on with this mixed approach. They recognized Native nations, politically and geographically, as sovereign entities with the authority to govern themselves, define their citizenry, and occupy their territory. The United States made treaties with tribal nations as with foreign governments, even if these nations were not seen as fully equivalent to European states. And among the most important treaties was the one set in place at Hopewell with the Cherokee Nation. This agreement was negotiated when the United States was just being shaped and it established the first geographical border to the west. But that was not the only reason it was so influential. It also established slavery as part of the American way. — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 467

Categorization

• SEED: The Hopewell treaty as an origin point: it established both the first western border and slavery as American policy — a compact synecdoche of the book’s whole reframing thesis about infrastructure and departure.