On July 9, 1832 the Republic of Indian Stream began its short existence. Sandwiched between the British province of Lower 
Canada to the north and northwestern New Hampshire to the south, it remained an unrecognized independent nation until annexed by New Hampshire in 1835.
The Republic of Indian Stream
The saga of Indian Stream stems from the Treaty of Paris of 1783 ending the American Revolutionary War. The treaty which left a vague boundary between northwestern New Hampshire and British Lower Canada (1791-1841) at the “northwestern head of the Connecticut River.” Three tributaries above the 45th parallel — Hall’s Stream, Indian Stream and Perry Stream — flowed south to the head of the river. It wasn’t clear, however, which one was the boundary. At the outset of the dispute, the U. S. favored the northwestern boundary at Hall’s Stream to the west. The British, on the other hand, favored the Third Connecticut Lake, farther east, as the source of the Connecticut River.
Third Connecticut Lake
In 1796 Thomas Eames filed a deed in Grafton County for land obtained from a native chief, King Philip. It stretched from the 45th parallel in the upper Connecticut River to the Canadian highlands. This doubtful grant became the foundation of land sales by the Eastman Company. Two years later, the Bedel Company was formed to sell land in the same area, after paying seven members of the St. Francis tribe for its deed of questionable validity. In turn, the two companies sold land to New Hampshire, Vermont and Canadian settlers. They agreed to clear land for homes, raise crops and build roads.
Meanwhile, officials in the U.S. and Canada failed to settle the boundary. In 1827 the King of the Netherlands, Wiliam Frederick, agreed to arbitrate the dispute.
King William Frederick Decides
He issued his decision in 1831. He awarded the land to Britain, which adversely affected Indian Stream residents in several ways. First, New Hampshire did not recognize the decision (as did the U.S. government), but it continued attempts at debt collection and taxation. Secondly, Indian Stream residents became subject to military service and taxation in Canada. Thirdly, U.S. customs officials began taxing exports of Indian Stream goods as the territory was no longer part of New Hampshire. However, Canada did not tax imports from Indian Stream.
King William Frederick
For a long time, Indian Stream residents had governed themselves through the annual town meeting. It generally dealt with relatively mundane matters (e.g., setting a fee for a service or forming a school district). However, continual frustration over the conflicting demands of the governmental entities and failure of the U.S. and Canada to agree on a border culminated in a momentous town meeting on June 11, 1832. The voters selected a committee to draft a constitution and form a government independent of both countries. It would exist until the boundary dispute ended.
On July 9, 1832, 56 men of 59 present at the town meeting voted in favor of the new constitution that created “a body politic by the name of Indian Stream.” Its boundaries extended “between Hall’s Stream and the stream issuing from Lake Connecticut” with its 400 people.
The Government of Indian Stream
The constitution had a bill of rights, which encompassed religious freedom and various protections for individuals. It also provided for legislative powers centered in a council and general assembly. The five-person council was empowered to make laws and regulations, create a militia, offer pardons and call special sessions of the assembly. The assembly, consisting of men 21 years and older who met a short residency requirement, could not propose legislation. However, it could offer amendments to actions of the council and override its vetoes by a two-thirds vote. It could also create a judicial system and elect civil officers.
Significantly there was no independently elected president or elections for legislative members by district. However, the constitution could be amended by having the assembly choose a committee to draw up proposals that the assembly would vote upon.
Over the next two years, the fledging republic prospered. As people felt more economically secure, land transactions grew. Meanwhile, the new government sought to stabilize its finances through taxes on polls, livestock, land and buildings.
Despite Indian Stream having declared its independence, the sheriff of Coos County, New Hampshire, came to collect debts in August 1834. Repeatedly rebuffed in these efforts over the next year, New Hampshire finally threatened to send a militia into Indian Stream on Aug. 4, 1835. The next day Indian Stream agreed to be annexed by New Hampshire. Thus, the short-lived experiment in an independent government came to an end.
Trouble Erupts
Canada did not approve of the annexation, On Sept. 26, 1835, it offered its protection to Indian Stream residents. However, by the middle of October an international incident occurred that would eventually lead to settlement of the boundary and the future of the residents of Indian Stream.
It began with an Indian Stream resident, John Tyler, owing a debt to William Buckminster, a proprietor of a tavern and general store in Canaan, Vt. After being arrested in Indian Stream and freed by friends, Tyler complained to a British Canadian magistrate that he was falsely arrested in Drayton in Lower Canada by a New Hampshire deputy sheriff, Richard Blanchard. Although the magistrate ordered Blanchard arrested, he was subsequently rescued by his Indian “Streamer” supporters.
Meanwhile, another troublesome group of “Streamers” succeeded in capturing the magistrate at his home. The wounded official was then taken to Canaan, Vt., where officials ordered his release and return to Canada. The New Hampshire militia then occupied Indian Stream from November 1835 to February 1836. Indian Stream residents declared that they approved “unconditional control over the territory of Indian Stream” by New Hampshire on April 2, 1836. In November 1840, after a petition signed by the inhabitants, the entire area of Indian Stream became the incorporated town of Pittsburgh, N.H., with its 300 residents.
Resolved
The boundary dispute finally ended on Aug. 9, 1842, with the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty by the U.S. and Canada. Among its various provisions, the pact confirmed the former Indian Stream as part of New Hampshire.
Alexander Baring (Lord Ashburton) and Daniel Webster, treaty negotiators.
Edward T. Howe, Ph.D., is Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at Siena College near Albany, N.Y.
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Images: Map By The original uploader was Citynoise at English Wikipedia.Later versions were uploaded by AnonMoos at en.wikipedia. – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1920862. Third Connecticut Lake By Dmoore5556 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81340077. First Connecticut lake (featured image) By Dmoore5556 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81340072. Pittsburg-Clarksville Bridge By Denimadept – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2609287.
