William Henry Harrison was a product of privilege and ability. His father signed the Declaration of Independence and was for a time the Governor of Virginia. Harrison became a political leader and Congressman from the Northwest Territory. While he was a member of Congress, the Northwest Territory was split into the territories of Ohio and Indiana. Although Harrison had not campaigned for the office, President John Adams appointed him to be governor of the Indiana Territory.
When Thomas Jefferson became President, he granted William Henry Harrison the authority to negotiate treaties with the Native American people on his behalf.
So the treaty of 1804 that was negotiated with Meskwaki and Sauk leaders who:
were trying to get a prisoner released, and:
who might have been induced to become drunk prior to signing the treaty, and who:
did not understand the language used, and who:
had a different concept of land ownership than the whites, and who:
sold the land for a fraction of its worth,
had the full authority of the government of the United States. The treaty of St. Louis of 1804 was approved by the Senate and ratified by the President of the United States.