In the spring of 1829, the Sauk leader Black Hawk returned to Suakenuk to discover a small group of white settlers in residence. These squatters not only possessed the audacity to settle on Sauk land, but had actually been so bold as to take possession of community property. Black Hawk was enraged. A prominent Sauk chief named Keokuk intervened and came up with a solution that prevented an engagement. Keokuk met with the settlers and representatives of the federally administered territory surrounding Saukenuk and agreed to relocate his community to a new location on the Iowa River. Black Hawk and the British Band, however, refused to abandon his home and remained in Saukenuk throughout the spring. The following year, as he departed for the winter hunt, Black Hawk left the settlers with an ominous warning--the British Band would be back.
The Rise of Keokuk
Keokuk long held the admiration of territorial officials and quickly became the benefactor of their largess. An influential civil chief among the Sauk and Fox, Keokuk was seen as someone the American government could trust. To show their interest in cultivating a positive working relationship, territorial officials eventually embraced Keokuk as the principal leader of the Sauk and Fox. Often the recipient of financial and material offerings, Keokuk was also promised the unilateral support of territorial administrators should there ever be a challenge to his authority. In 1816, the United States government publicly acknowledged Keokuk as the principal leader of the Sauk and Fox union.
Playing Kingmaker
Inviting Keokuk and close to a dozen influential chiefs to a special council meeting, American officials gained his trust and convinced him to sign a treaty reaffirming the Treaty of St. Louis. By viewing Keokuk as the principal leader of the Sauk and Fox, the United States was able to claim his acceptance of their terms as the acknowledgement of the union as a whole. By playing the role of kingmaker and purposely interfering in the internal politics of the Sauk and Fox, the American government was able to gain more territory than ever before.
Threat to the Union
With Keokuk and his adherents seeking to appease the advancing Americans, Black Hawk soon gained the support of those communities who were unwilling to vacate their lands without a fight. As Black Hawk’s British Band increased in size, they stepped up their raids on white settlements. The resulting rift among the Sauk and Fox threatened to rend the very fabric of the union itself.
Sources:
Mark M. Boatner III, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1994).
Mark C Carnes, Ed. U.S. History. (New York: MacMillan Library Reference, 1998).
Peter Matthiessen, ed. George Catlin: North American Indians. (New York: Penguin Group, 1989).
Marilyn Miller and Martin Faux, American History Desk Reference. (New York: MacMillan, 1997).
Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2000).
Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).
