Red Jacket, Seneca War Chief

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Red Jacket, whose Seneca name was Sagoyewatha, earned his English name from the red coat a British officer gave him, and he went on to become one of the most celebrated orators of his people. He fought alongside the British during the Revolutionary War and later became a leading voice in Seneca councils, where he argued against selling land and against the missionaries who wanted to change his community's way of life. His skill with words and his long rivalry with other Seneca leaders made him a figure of both admiration and controversy, and he remained influential until his death at Buffalo Creek in 1830.

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