April 30, 1825

Controversial Creek leader William McIntosh was executed by agents of the Creek National Council. A mixed-race member of the Lower Creeks, McIntosh used his multicultural upbringing to gain a position of prominence, often pursuing his own interests over those of the Creek Nation. In 1825, he led negotiations and signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, ceding most Creek land to the United States without approval from the Creek National Council. On orders from the council, nearly 400 Creek Law Menders set fire to McIntosh’s house, shooting and killing him as he tried to escape. In 1826, the Creeks negotiated the Second Treaty of Washington, allowing the nation to keep three million acres in Alabama.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.