To fully understand the cause of the Black Hawk War (or Black Hawk’s War) it is necessary to examine the contentious relationship between the United States and the Sauk and Fox union. In 1803, the United States purchased more than 800,000 square miles of land from France--this became known as the Louisiana Purchase. For $15 million, the American government had more than doubled the young nation’s size. This land was ripe for colonization and pioneers quickly moved to establish a presence. The trouble began when these bold settlers encroached upon territory that was already occupied--as was often the case. In 1804, the presence of uninvited white settlers in Missouri angered Sauk communities to the point of violence. A skirmish near present day St. Louis resulted in the death of three settlers. This was to be the beginning of a long and bitter relationship between the United States and the Sauk and Fox.
The Treaty of St. Louis
In response to the rising tensions in the region, the American Secretary of War dispatched William Henry Harrison to meet with Sauk and Fox leaders. Harrison organized a special council at Portage de Sioux, Missouri and invited the five most prominent Sauk and Fox chiefs to meet with him. Leading this delegation was Quashquame (or, Jumping Fish), a prominent Sauk chief who believed he was meeting Harrison to discuss compensation for the families of the settlers killed in the raid. Asking the native delegation to bring with them the individuals who had participated in this attack, Harrison disguised his ulterior motive. Only one of the individuals involved was present. At the start of the council, Harrison arrested the warrior and informed the assembled leaders that he would be released once the tribe had made proper restitution--this man was later killed by American soldiers. Plying the delegation with liquor and material gifts, Harrison began to demand more than monetary recompense--he demanded land. By the conclusion of the council, the assembled chiefs had ceded all Sauk and Fox territory in Illinois and Wisconsin. Although negotiated at Portage de Sioux, this document became known as the Treaty of St. Louis.
Black Hawk’s Fury
In response to the terms of the Treaty of St. Louis, a Sauk war chief named Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak (known as either Black Sparrow Hawk or Black Hawk) organized a small army of resistance. Black Hawk struck out with a small but determined band of followers from his home village of Saukenuk (present day Rock Island, Illinois). His popularity grew and other leaders soon joined him in attacks against American forts along the Mississippi River. Fighting as a part of Tecumseh’s confederacy of tribes in 1811, Black Sparrow Hawk became a living symbol of resistance for other Sauk and Fox communities. After the defeat of Tecumseh’s confederacy, Black Hawk continued to lead raids against the American presence and even allied with the British in the War of 1812--an alliance that earned him the rank of brevet Brigadier General. Abandoned by his British allies at the conclusion of the war, Black Hawk was forced to sit down and negotiate a settlement with the United States in 1814. During the summit, he inadvertently signed a document that reaffirmed the provisions of the hated Treaty of St. Louis.
The Rise of the British Band
Refusing to vacate his homeland, Black Hawk continued to execute raids on American outposts with an army of 200 warriors. To sustain his supplies, Black Hawk maintained close ties with British forces in Canada. From Saukenuk, he made frequent trips to Ontario and would sometimes strike from the Canadian side of the border. His closeness to the British earned his army the nom de guerre, “the British Band.” Despite a stable trade relationship, Black Hawk and the British Band could not stop the influx of American settlers and his position grew untenable. Returning from a winter hunt in the spring of1829, Black Hawk found his own village of Saukenuk occupied by a small band of American settlers. Noting the approach of winter, but still outraged, Black Hawk prepared for another siege. However, the intervention of another Sauk leader named Keokuk prevented a battle. An uneasy truce was reached.
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).
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