Peace Medals

Produced in silver for presentation to Native American chiefs and warriors, peace medals represent a fascinating and little-known aspect of American history. They include an important group of images depicting United States Presidents, from George Washington to Benjamin Harrison. Peace medals became an integral part of our government's relations with Native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial houses a permanent exhibit of American Indian Peace Medals. This exhibit discusses the history of Native American people from a unique point of view, using symbolism included on peace medals issued between 1789 and 1896.

The number of peace medals varied with each presidential administration, usually according to the demand represented by requests from Indian agents in the field. The peace medals produced for George Washington's administration were engraved, by hand, on oval sheets of silver. They were made in three sizes, the largest being 4" x 6". They all bear roughly the same design, although they were engraved by a number of different silversmiths, including the famous Joseph Richardson, Jr. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The "Washington Season Medals," made in Great Britain during George Washington's second term, were designed by the renowned American artist John Trumbull. They depicted raising cattle, the sowing of wheat, and a woman using a spinning wheel. These themes expressed in visual terms the recurring desire of the government to "civilize" and "educate" American Indians. The Season Medals were not popular, because Native American chiefs did not recognize the validity of a medal without the likeness of the President of the United States.

During Thomas Jefferson's administration, a new style of peace medal was created which resembled those used by the British, and became the model for the rest of the series. The obverse (face) had a formal bust of President Jefferson in low relief, along with his name and the date he entered office. The reverse showed clasped hands and bore the motto "Peace and Friendship." This design reinforced the idea presented on the Washington medal, and depicted the Indian nations as coequals of the United States. The same pattern for the reverse continued in use until 1849. Only the presidential portraits, especially commissioned for each medal, changed throughout the years.

The Jefferson medals were not made of solid silver, but were hollow because of the way they were created. The obverse and reverse were struck separately on thin planchets of silver, and then joined by a silver band. Three sizes of medals were made, with diameters of 4", 3", and 2 1/4". This new method of making medals created a stark difference in the medal's weight.

Lewis and Clark, on their expedition of discovery (1804-1806), took along three of the large Jefferson medals, 13 of the medium size, 16 small, and 55 of the Washington Season Medals, which they presented to Native American chiefs along their route. Lewis and Clark were faithful about writing in their journals about events of each day, which included the distribution of medals. Unfortunately, they rarely recorded the size and type of each medal specifically enough for us to be sure exactly which medals were given out on which days, They state in their journals that they gave out all but one large Jefferson medal. On May 11, 1806, Lewis noted: "Those with the likeness of Mr. Jefferson have all been disposed of except one of the largest size which we reserve for some great Chief on the Yellow rock river." Lewis did not encounter any Indians along the Yellowstone, and this medal may have returned to St. Louis with the party.

The following table explains when the Peace Medals were distributed according to the entries in the Lewis and Clark Journals. For more on Peace Medals see the journal entries of November 28, 1804 and April 27, 1806.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial has a collection of 45 Indian Peace Medals on display in the Museum of Westward Expansion under the Gateway Arch. \