# 565 - 1923 14c American Indian, deep blue
Series of 1922-25
14¢ American Indian
Issue Date: May 1, 1923
First City: Muskogee, OK and Washington, DC
Issue Quantity: 151,114,177
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Flat plate
Perforations: 11
Color: Deep blue
Bureau Of Indian Affairs
Among the first acts of the new Continental Congress in 1775 was the creation of three departments of Indian affairs: northern, central, and southern. Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry served as some of the early commissioners of these departments, tasked with negotiating treaties with Native American tribes. Their goal was to establish tribal neutrality in the Revolutionary War.
When this system ended in 1822, there was a gap in Native American relations. US Secretary of War John C. Calhoun sought to bridge that gap by creating the Bureau of Indian Affairs on March 11, 1824. It was a division within his Department of War and he created it without authorization from Congress. Because he had created the office in this way, Calhoun retained authority over the office, while the bureau’s superintendent had little power. It would take five years before a bill passed in both houses giving the president the authority to appoint a Commissioner of Indian Affairs to officially direct and manage all government matters relating to Native Americans.
Click here for more stamps honoring Native Americans.
Click here to view the bureau’s website.
Series of 1922-25
14¢ American Indian
Issue Date: May 1, 1923
First City: Muskogee, OK and Washington, DC
Issue Quantity: 151,114,177
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Flat plate
Perforations: 11
Color: Deep blue
Bureau Of Indian Affairs
Among the first acts of the new Continental Congress in 1775 was the creation of three departments of Indian affairs: northern, central, and southern. Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry served as some of the early commissioners of these departments, tasked with negotiating treaties with Native American tribes. Their goal was to establish tribal neutrality in the Revolutionary War.
When this system ended in 1822, there was a gap in Native American relations. US Secretary of War John C. Calhoun sought to bridge that gap by creating the Bureau of Indian Affairs on March 11, 1824. It was a division within his Department of War and he created it without authorization from Congress. Because he had created the office in this way, Calhoun retained authority over the office, while the bureau’s superintendent had little power. It would take five years before a bill passed in both houses giving the president the authority to appoint a Commissioner of Indian Affairs to officially direct and manage all government matters relating to Native Americans.
Click here for more stamps honoring Native Americans.
Click here to view the bureau’s website.