Black Hawk Purchase And The Opening of Iowa Territory

 

Chief Keokuk signing the Black Hawk Purchase

It ended at the Bad Axe River in August 1832.

Black Hawk and his followers were trying to cross the Mississippi. They were tired, hungry, and running. U.S. troops caught them at the river. What followed wasn’t much of a battle.

It was a massacre.

Soldiers fired from the shore. A steamboat moved into position and opened fire. People tried to swim across. Many didn’t make it. Men, women, and children were shot in the water or cut down on the shore.

By the time it was over, hundreds were dead.

That ended the war.

Black Hawk escaped with a small group and headed north, but he didn’t get far. Ho-Chunk men captured him and turned him over to U.S. forces.

He was taken to Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis and held there as a prisoner.

While he was in custody, the future of his people was being decided.

In September 1832, U.S. officials met with Sauk and Meskwaki leaders at Fort Armstrong on Rock Island. General Winfield Scott and Illinois Governor John Reynolds led the talks.

General Winfield Scott

Black Hawk wasn’t there.

The Americans worked with other leaders, including Keokuk. He had stayed out of the war and already had ties with U.S. officials.

During the negotiations, the United States recognized Keokuk as the principal chief. That gave the government someone it could deal with. It also shifted authority away from Black Hawk and his followers.

Then came the land grab.

The Sauk and Meskwaki gave up about six million acres along the west side of the Mississippi. A long strip of land running from the north down to Missouri and stretching inland about fifty miles. It included villages, hunting grounds, and travel routes.

In return, the United States promised money, goods, and yearly payments. The terms were written out and signed.

The balance between them was clear. The war had just ended. Black Hawk was in custody. The United States held control.

For a short time, Native families remained on the land.

That ended in June 1833.

Once it opened, settlers moved in fast. They crossed the river, marked claims, and stayed. Towns grew along the Mississippi—Dubuque, Burlington, Davenport.

The change came quickly.

Later, Black Hawk was taken east along with Keokuk and other chiefs. They traveled through major cities under guard. Crowds came out to see them.

By the time he returned, the land was gone.

The war ended at Bad Axe. The treaty followed at Rock Island. After that, the land changed hands, and settlers poured in.