In 1787 the Northwest Ordinance was passed and settlers began moving west into what is now Ohio. The newly formed United States government was loosely organized and unable to protect the settlers from the Indians, many of whom had formed alliances with remaining British troops.
Revolutionary general “Mad” Anthony Wayne prepared an offensive against the Indians in the event the government’s peace negotiations fell through. On August 20, 1794, Wayne’s army won a decisive victory at Fallen Timbers, just south of modern day Toledo. Following the battle, Wayne led his army on a march south to an abandoned Miami village where he founded Fort Wayne on September 22, 1794.
A year later, the Treaty of Greenville secured peace with the some of the Indians. They ceded large amounts of land, including parts of modern day Ohio, Indiana, and the future site of the city of Chicago. Wayne returned to his native Philadelphia a hero, having secured the Northwest Territory and the prospect of further Westward expansion.
