1812. Well educated as a youth, he learned to speak three languages and became a prominent trader. As Richardville gained influence among the Miami people, he succeeded in becoming the principal chief. As a negotiator and signatory on treaties made on behalf of the Miamis, he tried to protect their interests at a time when the political power of American Indians was in decline. While he personally benefitted from his role as a tribal chief and treaty negotiator, Richardville also tried to obtain favorable terms for the Miami people and the best prices available for their lands. In addition, he and other Miami leaders successfully delayed removal of the Miami people from Indiana until the signing of the Treaty of the Wabash (1840), a year before Richardville's death. In his later years Richardville also provided displaced Miamis with a place to stay on his Indiana land. Assessment of Richardville's actions as a treaty negotiator and civil chief of the Miamis are varied. Some of these are favorable; others are highly critical. Hugh McCulloch, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and a contemporary of Richardville, described him as one "of whom no one ever got the better in a trade." In Wallace Brice's History of Fort Wayne (1868), Richardville is described as "beloved and esteemed" and "prudent and deliberate." However, in Narrative of an Expedition to the Source of St. Peter's River (1824), author William H. Keating called the Miami chief "one of the most artful and deceitful of his nation." Bert Anson, author of The Miami Indians (1970) took the middle ground in his assessment of Richardville's leadership. Anson recognized Richardville's shrewd negotiating abilities in arranging "good terms of other Miami chiefs and bands," as well as his own financial gain. Anson also found that Richardville also took care of his family and friends, and, most importantly, delayed for decades the removal of the Miami people from Indiana. Residences Richardville's properties in Indiana included Richardville House, his brick home in Fort Wayne. This residence became famous for its Greek Revival architecture, size, and stylish furnishings. Another Richardville property is at the Forks of the Wabash in Huntington County, Indiana. Richardville House Under the terms of the Treaty of Mississinewas (1826), the U.S. government gave Richardville and nine other chiefs $600 each toward construction of a two-room brick home for themselves and their families. Richardville, who wanted a larger, more elaborate