The famous Seneca Indian chief Sagoyewatha was also called Red Jacket because of the succession of red jackets he wore, the first given to him by a British officer during the Revolutionary War. A leader of his people and a great orator, he advocated friendship and co-existence with the white man but asserted the independence and ownership rights of the Indians. In 1792 Red Jacket received from George Washington a silver medal, which he is shown wearing in this portrait, painted during a visit to New York City in 1828.