The Native American Who Went to London with an Eagle and Came Home with a Lion

What does it mean to live on one side of an ocean and be connected to powerful people and places on the other side? This talk investigates a 1734 voyage by a group of Creeks from Georgia to meet the King of England through the sources that survived as well as those that didn't. Understanding why their headman brought an eagle (plus a bear cub and, possibly, a flying horse) with him and brought home a lion (plus two swans) helps us rethink what Native peoples thought of the British Empire and their place in that world. 

This is the Ritchie Distinguished Fellow Lecture and is part of The Huntington Research 2025-2026 "Active in the Archive" lecture series.