According to treaties signed between Native American nations and the United States in the early nineteenth century, the federal government was to make periodic monetary payments (annuities) as partial compensation for the cession of territory. These payments were coordinated by the Agent of Indian Affairs. Alexander Wolcott, Jr., who was a physician and trader in the Chicago area, served as Agent in the Chicago region from the late 1810s through the late 1820s. This document itemized payments made by Wolcott in July 1827 to Potawatomi representatives. The list includes English transliterations of the names of tribal leaders to whom annuities were paid, amounts of those payments, and the name, population, and general location of villages in the surrounding area.

Creator: Alexander Wolcott
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37975)