Red Jacket was a Seneca who was once asked what he had done to distinguish himself as a warrior among the Seneca Indians.  He replied, "A warrior?  I am an Orator.  I was born an orator!"  The Seneca chief's tribal name was Sa-Go-Ye-Wat-Ha, or "He keeps them awake."  This may have been a very appropriate description as an orator, for he certainly was gifted in his ability to speak at council fires, treaty sessions, and before governmental agencies.  His name of Red Jacket is attributed to the persistent wearing of a red military jacket given him by a British army officer.

Red Jacket was born about 1752 in the vicinity of Lake Geneva, New York, near Seneca Lake.  He had distinguished himself in war, and that he made a mark for himself oratorically cannot be denied.  Red Jacket made a trip to Washington, D.C. in 1792 at the invitation of President George Washington, who wished to impress upon him the futility of opposing the numerical strength and abilities of the whites.  He dined with President Washington, and on March 26, addressed the United States Senate, where he stressed the importance of satisfying the Indian tribes with the good faith and liberality of the whites.  Red Jacket spent several weeks in Washington, transacting business which concerned the Seneca's and other Indian tribes.

Red Jacket died January 20, 1830, at the age of seventy-eight.