Life of Black Hawk

Content Warning: This section references racist and violent actions committed by white people and the nations of the United States, France, Spain, and Great Britain.

Black Hawk’s account illustrates the causes that led him to war with the United States. The text illuminates the fragile nature of the treaties between the tribes and the American government and the early forms of Indigenous resistance to colonial expansion. It also illustrates the misleading and deceptive deals created by the white settlers. The Sauk participated in the fur trade and had contact mostly with the white traders. During that period, they had established trading relations with the French, the Spanish, and the British. Things changed after the Americans gained power. Although they dealt with severe colonialism before American independence, it worsened when America became the main force behind resettlement.

Colonialism had a profound impact on the lives of Indigenous peoples. Black Hawk mentions the repercussions of colonial contact: “Why did the Great Spirit ever send the whites to this island, to drive us from our homes, and introduce among us poisonous liquors, disease and death?” (23). Colonial expansion impacted the Sauk’s ability to sustain themselves. As the settlers occupied land, they excluded the Sauk from their fields.