Keokuk's Reserve
Encyclopedia
Keokuk's Reserve was a parcel of land in the present-day U.S. state
of Iowa
that was retained by the Sauk and Fox tribes in 1832 in the aftermath of the Black Hawk War
. The tribes stayed on the reservation only until 1836 when the land was ceded to the United States, and the Native Americans were moved to a new reservation.
that ended the Black Hawk War
resulted in the United States
' gaining a large section of present-day Iowa known as the Black Hawk Purchase
. Keokuk's Reserve was carved out of this cession. The treaty stipulated that the reserve include Keokuk's Village, about twelve miles (19 km) from the Mississippi River
, as well as equal portions of land on either side of the Iowa River
.
The reserve was a 400 mi2 area along either side of the Iowa River. The boundary crossed the Iowa River and extended to the southeast where it terminated beyond Keokuk's Village. The land surrounding the reserve was ceded to the United States by Fox and Sauk tribes as part of the Black Hawk Purchase.
leadership declined as he increasingly consumed alcohol.
Between 1833 and 1845 the Sauk and Fox population decreased more than 50 percent, from more than 6,000 to about 1,200 from each tribe. The community continued to decline as alcohol gained a stronger hold among the peoples. Political discord also tore the groups apart.
and attended by Henry Dodge
, and more than 1,000 chiefs and braves, including the aged Black Hawk
, from the Sauk and Fox nations. The treaty text states that the reasoning behind the Sauk and Foxe's decision to cede the land was to "(obtain) additional means of support, and to pay their just creditors".
The result for the Sauk and Fox living within Keokuk's Reserve was that they were removed to another reservation along the Des Moines River
. An Indian Agency
was established on that reservation at the present-day location of Agency, Iowa
. In addition, the treaty stipulated payment to Sauk and Fox of US$
30,000 in June 1837 and $10,000 per year for ten succeeding years. The treaty also made other stipulations including a $1,000 payment to the widow of Felix St. Vrain
and about $48,000 for the Sauk and Fox to settle their debts.
After their removal to the new reservation along the Des Moines, Joseph M. Street
, agent to the Winnebago
, was appointed agent to the Sauk and Fox. A farmhouse was erected as well as two mills; one of the mills was destroyed by flood but the other remained for several years. Keokuk and two other chiefs, Wapello
and Appanoose, tended farm fields on the reservation. According to the 1882 History of Western Iowa, Its Settlement and Growth, much of the community began to suffer from "dissipation" (drunkenness), including Keokuk.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
that was retained by the Sauk and Fox tribes in 1832 in the aftermath of the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
. The tribes stayed on the reservation only until 1836 when the land was ceded to the United States, and the Native Americans were moved to a new reservation.
Treaty terms
The terms of the treatyTreaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
that ended the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
resulted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' gaining a large section of present-day Iowa known as the Black Hawk Purchase
Black Hawk Purchase
The Black Hawk Purchase, sometimes called the Forty-Mile Strip or Scott's Purchase, was a land acquisition made in what is now Iowa by the United States federal government. The land, originally owned by the Sauk, Meskwaki , and Ho-Chunk Native American people, was acquired by treaty following...
. Keokuk's Reserve was carved out of this cession. The treaty stipulated that the reserve include Keokuk's Village, about twelve miles (19 km) from the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, as well as equal portions of land on either side of the Iowa River
Iowa River
The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...
.
The reserve was a 400 mi2 area along either side of the Iowa River. The boundary crossed the Iowa River and extended to the southeast where it terminated beyond Keokuk's Village. The land surrounding the reserve was ceded to the United States by Fox and Sauk tribes as part of the Black Hawk Purchase.
Life on the reservation
After the attrition of the Black Hawk War, the Sauk and Fox peoples were forced onto Keokuk's Reservation per the treaty they signed following the war. From the beginning, the reservation was depleted of game and poor in resources. Keokuk'sKeokuk
Keokuk may refer to:*Keokuk Places or warships named after Chief Keokuk:*Keokuk, Iowa, USA*Keokuk County, Iowa, USA*Keokuk Airport, USA*Keokuk-Hamilton Bridge, USA*Keokuk Rail Bridge, USA*USS Keokuk, several US Navy ships, including:...
leadership declined as he increasingly consumed alcohol.
Between 1833 and 1845 the Sauk and Fox population decreased more than 50 percent, from more than 6,000 to about 1,200 from each tribe. The community continued to decline as alcohol gained a stronger hold among the peoples. Political discord also tore the groups apart.
Cession to the United States
On September 28, 1836 a new treaty was signed which ceded all of the land within Keokuk's Reserve to the United States government. The treaty was signed near Davenport, IowaDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
and attended by Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son was Augustus C. Dodge with whom he served in the U.S. Senate, the first, and so far only, father-son pair to serve concurrently....
, and more than 1,000 chiefs and braves, including the aged Black Hawk
Black Hawk (chief)
Black Hawk was a leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the United States. Although he had inherited an important historic medicine bundle, he was not one of the Sauk's hereditary civil chiefs...
, from the Sauk and Fox nations. The treaty text states that the reasoning behind the Sauk and Foxe's decision to cede the land was to "(obtain) additional means of support, and to pay their just creditors".
The result for the Sauk and Fox living within Keokuk's Reserve was that they were removed to another reservation along the Des Moines River
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...
. An Indian Agency
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
was established on that reservation at the present-day location of Agency, Iowa
Agency, Iowa
Agency is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 622 at the 2000 census. It is the historic site of an Indian trading post and the grave of Chief Wapello.-History:...
. In addition, the treaty stipulated payment to Sauk and Fox of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
30,000 in June 1837 and $10,000 per year for ten succeeding years. The treaty also made other stipulations including a $1,000 payment to the widow of Felix St. Vrain
Felix St. Vrain
Felix St. Vrain was a United States Indian agent who was killed during the Black Hawk War. St. Vrain died along with three companions while on a mission to deliver dispatches from Dixon's Ferry, Illinois to Fort Armstrong. The incident has become known as the St. Vrain massacre.-Early life:Felix...
and about $48,000 for the Sauk and Fox to settle their debts.
After their removal to the new reservation along the Des Moines, Joseph M. Street
Joseph M. Street
General Joseph Montfort Street was a 19th-century American pioneer, trader and US Army officer. During the 1820s and 1830s, he was also a U.S. Indian Agent to the Winnebago and later to the Sauk and Fox tribes after the Black Hawk War. His eldest son was Joseph H.D...
, agent to the Winnebago
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
, was appointed agent to the Sauk and Fox. A farmhouse was erected as well as two mills; one of the mills was destroyed by flood but the other remained for several years. Keokuk and two other chiefs, Wapello
Wapello (chief)
Wapello was a Native American chief of the Meskwaki tribe.-Early life:Wapello was born in 1787 at Prairie du Chien, in what is now the state of Wisconsin...
and Appanoose, tended farm fields on the reservation. According to the 1882 History of Western Iowa, Its Settlement and Growth, much of the community began to suffer from "dissipation" (drunkenness), including Keokuk.