William McIntosh (fur trader)

William McIntosh (c. 1775 – April 30, 1825), also known as Tustunnuggee Hutkee ("White Warrior"), was a prominent chief of the Lower Creek Indians in the early 19th century. His mother was Creek and his father was Scottish, giving him influence in both cultures. McIntosh played a significant role in Creek affairs, particularly in the context of increasing pressure from the United States government for land cession.

McIntosh served as a warrior in the Creek War of 1813-1814, siding with the United States under General Andrew Jackson against the Red Sticks faction of the Creek, who opposed American expansion. He was instrumental in the American victory at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Following the Creek War, McIntosh became a leading advocate for Creek accommodation to American ways, believing it was necessary for survival. He established a large plantation, raised livestock, and practiced cotton cultivation using enslaved labor. This adoption of European-American agricultural practices further alienated him from more traditional Creek leaders.

McIntosh is most known for his role in negotiating and signing the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1825. This treaty ceded a vast amount of Creek territory in present-day Georgia and Alabama to the United States. It was highly controversial because the Creek National Council had previously passed a law stipulating that any chief who ceded land without the Council's consent would be put to death.

Because McIntosh had signed the Treaty of Indian Springs in violation of Creek law, a group of Creek warriors, led by Menawa, attacked McIntosh's plantation and executed him on April 30, 1825. His death underscored the deep divisions within the Creek Nation over the issue of land cession and assimilation. The Treaty of Indian Springs was ultimately nullified by the US government due to the circumstances surrounding its signing. McIntosh's actions continue to be debated among historians and within the Creek Nation, with some viewing him as a pragmatist who tried to protect his people in a difficult situation, and others seeing him as a traitor who sacrificed Creek land for personal gain.