After the American Revolution, the growing American population looked for new lands to settle, including Native American lands. Congress, however, recognized the potential military threat from Native Americans and sought to keep the tribes at peace. The authors of the Constitution gave the Federal Government the sole right to purchase Native American lands, hoping to control the spread of American settlement and prevent further war.

The earliest U.S.-tribal treaties championed peace and friendship. As the United States grew in size and power, treaties increasingly favored American interests.