St. Clair’s Defeat in 1791 was—and remains—the worst defeat of the US army by Native American forces in American history and the sign of a growing crisis in the Northwest Territories. For Washington, it would prove to be the first test of Federal authority in the west. In this episode, hear from Dr. Colin Calloway, Dr. Greg Ablavsky, and Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky about George Washington’s “Indian Policy” and how one of the worst military disasters in US history led to the formation of both the Presidential Cabinet and the US military as we know it today.

Written and directed by Dr. Anne Fertig. Narrated by Tom Plott with additional voice acting by Dan Shippey, Matt Mattingly, Dr. James Ambuske, Michael Nephew, and Nathaniel Kuhn.

Inventing the Presidency is a Production of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and CD Squared Productions.