On Sunday, November 24, 2019, Ronald H. Koehn will present an informative PowerPoint program, titled “Chief Blackhawk and His War,” featuring the man, the war that bears his name, and their legacy in American History.
Sponsored by Morrison Historical Society, the free program will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m., at Morrison’s Heritage Museum, 202 E. Lincolnway, Morrison, IL. Doors open at 1:00. Refreshments will be served.
In the spring of 1832, three years before John Baker founded Baker’s Ferry, later renamed in honor of of Robert Fulton of steamboat fame, a band of Sauk and Fox Indians under the leadership of Ma-katai-me-she-kia-kiak (“Black Sparrow”), left their imposed exile in Iowa Territory. They returned to their former homes across the Mississippi River, in northwestern Illinois.
These Native Americans had lost their traditional tribal lands in Illinois, due to a disputed treaty negotiated by William Henry Harrison, a future President.
The return of these Native Indians spread fear and panic among the white settlers of the region. Governor John Reynolds quickly called up the State Militia, to oppose this “invasion” of the Prairie State. Abraham Lincoln of New Salem, IL, was elected a Captain of the Militia volunteers. The resulting conflict was the Black Hawk War of 1831.
This was not a war in the traditional sense of the word. It constituted a minor footnote in American history, lasting no more than five months and being comprised primarily of a series of chases and skirmishes.
Yet, its legacy was surprisingly significant in terms of
- white settlement in a portion of what had been the Old Northwest Territory
- the fate of Native Americans
- political careers of some of its participants.
Ron Koehn earned his Bachelor of Science degree in History and Political Science, and his Master of Science degree in History, at Illinois State University, Normal, IL. Now retired, he was employed as a Social Studies teacher at Fulton High School from 1974 to 2003. He primarily taught United States History, Sociology, and American Government.