Coming to Town

The chapter discusses why and when Indian delegations went to cities. To demonstrate that Indian visitors were a regular and frequent presence, it provides multiple examples of Indian delegations to colonial and early Republic cities. It describes their experiences on the road, the receptions they received, and the measures colonial officials took to ensure that their visits were positive. It considers delegates’ initial responses to the urban environment. As a case study, the second part of the chapter focuses on the history of Creek delegations to colonial cities, culminating in the famous state visit in 1790 by Alexander McGillivray and some two dozen Creek chiefs to the then capital, New York City.