When I was Born

McGillivray was born probably in 1750 in Little Tallassee near present-day Montgomery, Alabama. He was the son of Scottish trader Lachlan McGillivray and a Creek woman named Sehoy, McGillivray grew up in Creek society as a full member of his mother's Wind Clan. McGillivray also became comfortable with the White society of his father. Before returning to Creek society in 1777, he had lived in Augusta. He received a European-style education in Charleston, South Carolina.

My Early Life

At the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), McGillivray returned to Little Tallassee and Creek society. During the war, he was a colonel in the British army, and he worked for British Superintendent of Indian Affair. He helped form alliances between Creek and British forces. McGillivray participated in the deerskin trade, and he owned African slaves. He herded cattle, loved to read, and ran a plantation. He also followed Native American rituals and had multiple wives.

After the Revolution

After the Revolution, McGillivray fought Georgia's attempt to take three million acres of land, and he protected the Creek people. He argued that Creeks had the right to keep their land. In 1784, he negotiated the Treaty of Pensacola with Spain, which protected Creek rights in Florida. Afterward he relied on his alliance with Spain to help convince officials of Georgia and the United States to respect Creek boundaries.

Treay of New York

Alexander McGillivray tried to make power within the Creek Nation more centralized. The Yazoo land grants by Georgia and the federal government's desire to take control of Indian affairs led to U.S. president George Washington's signing of the 1790 Treaty of New York. The treaty promised that the United States government would defend Creek territorial rights. This treaty created a relationship between the United States and the Creek Nation. The treaty made McGillivray a national Creek leader. McGillivray died in Pensacola, Florida, on February 13, 1793.