Leading a band of rebels against the forces of the United States, Black Hawk was a prominent Native American leader whose actions changed the lives of thousands of people. In his time, he was a controversial figure, both revered and reviled for his actions that took his people to war.
Today, he’s hailed as a hero.
This is the story of Black Hawk of the Sauk.
Black Hawk’s Early Life
Most of what is known of Black Hawk’s life is derived from his dictated autobiography, The Life of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak or Black Hawk, which was published in 1833, five years before his death. This publication was the first published account of a victim of the American wars against the Native Americans.
Black Hawk or Black Sparrow Hawk, or Ma-kat-tai-me-she-kia-kiak in his native tongue of Sauk, was born in 1767 into the Thunder clan of the Sauk in the village of Saukenuk on the Rock River in what is now northwestern Illinois.
Little is known of his childhood, but it is known that his father, Pyesa, was a medicine man within the Sauk tribe. By the age of 15, Black Hawk had distinguished himself in battle by wounding an enemy. This earned him the right to paint his face and wear feathers. Soon after, he won recognition by scalping his first enemy during the Sauk’s conflict with the neighboring Osage people.
Warfare was common among the region’s tribes at this point in history, and Black Hawk gained significant respect as a war leader over the following years. At the age of 19, he led a band of 200 against the Osage. During the battle, he killed five men and one woman.
During a later raid against the Cherokee, Black Hawk’s father died from battle wounds, and Black Hawk inherited his father’s sacred bundle, a collection of medicinal and other sacred items that held great value in the tribe.
Black Hawk married As-she-we-qua (Singing Bird), a woman of whom very little is known. It is not known when exactly they were married, but they had five children together, and she remained Black Hawk’s only wife in a culture where polygamy was an accepted practice.
Experience in War
Relations between the United States, imperial European powers, and the Native American tribes were key in shaping the political context of North America during the 18th century. The Sauk and their Fox allies had been subjected to French aggression in the first half of the 18th century, and during the American War of Independence, frontier militia had burned several Sauk villages.
In 1804, the Treaty of St. Louis was signed in which the Sauk and Fox had to give up land east of the Mississippi to the United States in exchange for $2,234.50 and an annuity of $1,000, a sum that was far less than what the land was worth.
Black Hawk and many others considered this treaty to be unfair. More importantly, he considered this treaty to be invalid, as it was claimed the Native Americans who signed it did not have the authority of their tribes to do so. Only one of the Native Americans who signed the treaty was actually a chief, and he had a reputation for being an alcoholic.
Black Hawk was one of many Sauk and Fox who decided to defy this treaty.
During the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States, Sauk and Fox fighters battled alongside the British against the United States, which they considered to be an enemy. Black Hawk fought under the command of Shawnee leader Tecumseh and took part in the Battle of Detroit in 1813. He achieved the rank of brevet brigadier general and was in command of all native troops at Green Bay.
During the conflict, Black Hawk traveled to Saukenu, where he found that his political rival Keokuk had become chief of the Sauk.
Despite the end of the war and the treaties in place, Black Hawk traveled with his band every year through US territory to exchange gifts with British officials with whom he remained on good terms.
Black Hawk had influence and was seen as an alternative to Keokuk. Many Native Americans appealed to Black Hawk to take action to prevent the loss of their home to the United States. Not only was Black Hawk of the mind that action should be taken, but he felt compelled by people who trusted him.
Mourning
Although the exact date is unknown, it was likely before 1820 when tragedy struck Black Hawk’s family. Two of his children died in the same year, and Black Hawk went into mourning. He had lost his eldest son and his youngest daughter, and he was inconsolable.
Choosing to live alone during this time, he built a small hut away from Saukenuk and blackened his face with ash. He also fasted, living off just small amounts of corn and water.
In the following years, Black Hawk would be inexorably drawn into the vortex of violence that would erupt between the Sauk and their allies on one side and American settlers on the other.
Prelude to War
In 1828, an influx of American settlers disrupted the fragile peace between the Sauk and the United States. In order to avoid conflict, most of the Sauk and the Fox peoples moved west of the Mississippi River. There were many, however, who refused to relocate.
Black Hawk refused to abide by the treaties that had been signed and made several incursions into territory east of the Mississippi, but his first few escapades ended without bloodshed when he was persuaded to turn back.
In 1831, his band occupied Saukenauk, and in June, the governor of Illinois sent troops to deal with the situation. When they arrived at Saukenuk, however, they found Black Hawk’s band had abandoned their lodgings and slipped back across to the western bank of the Mississippi, where they were safe.
In April 1832, the incursions led to war.
The Black Hawk War
Encouraged by the belief that he would find allies against the American settlers and that aid from the British would be forthcoming, Black Hawk led around 1,500 people, including non-combatants, across the Mississippi and prepared for what followed. Flying the British flag as a symbol of defiance against the United States, Black Hawk and his party became known as the “British Band.”
Black Hawk was sorely disappointed when his efforts failed to attract allies, and he prepared to return across the Mississippi. The band, however, was intercepted by an undisciplined Illinois militia who pressed battle and were routed in the process. The Battle of Stillman’s Run was a victory for Black Hawk, but the rest of the war would not be so kind to the British Band.
Subsequent battles and skirmishes over the next 15 weeks took their toll on the British Band. The Battle of Bad Axe on August 2, 1832 was a massacre. Sauk and Fox people were shot or drowned as they tried to cross the Mississippi to safety. It served as the final nail in the coffin for Black Hawk’s endeavor. Two-thirds of his band had been killed through starvation, exhaustion, and violent attrition.
Black Hawk had tried to draw the US forces away from the main body of the British Band during the battle and was forced to flee along with others close to him. He tried to go into hiding but was counseled to surrender.
Six weeks after the Battle of Bad Axe, Black Hawk turned himself over to US authorities.
Time in Captivity
Black Hawk, along with several other leaders, was escorted by Jefferson Davis (an army lieutenant at the time who would go on to become the president of the Confederate States of America) and taken aboard a steamboat, which transported them to Jefferson Barracks near Saint Louis, Missouri. They were held there until April 1833. During their time there, the captives were visited by Washington Irving and the artist George Catlin.
He was then taken to Washington DC, where he met with President Andrew Jackson. The captured leaders were then taken on a tour of the United States.
During this time, Black Hawk was mislabeled as a chief. Although he had had significant influence and led over one thousand Native Americans, Black Hawk was never actually a chief. Throughout the tour, huge crowds flocked to catch a glimpse of this “chief” who had defied the United States. Some crowds jeered, while others cheered.
He was finally released in October into the charge of his political rival, Keokuk, a slight to his honor from which he would never recover. He disagreed with Keokuk’s passiveness in dealing with the United States and later blamed Keokuk for the poor fate of the Sauk and Fox people.
Final Years
After his release, Black Hawk dictated his autobiography to Antoine LeClaire, an interpreter, and J.P. Patterson, a newspaper editor. The book sold extremely well, as Black Hawk had, perhaps ironically, achieved popularity among the European Americans who respected him as a courageous adversary.
Black Hawk lived with his wife and children along the Iowa River for five years before moving to a new home along the Des Moines River in 1838. It was there that he spent his final days.
On October 3, 1838, he died from a respiratory illness at the age of 71 and was buried on a friend’s farm. His grave was robbed soon after, and his remains were then sent to a museum in Iowa, which burned down in 1855.
Black Hawk was one of many Native American leaders who defied the United States. However, his attempt to stem the westward progression of colonization was not completely in vain. He left a legacy for future generations to look back on in admiration.
Almost two centuries after the fact, Black Hawk remains a symbol of the fight against oppression and an important figure in the history of the Native American people.
