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In the spring of 1836 Sauk chief Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak (Black Hawk, 1767-1838) and about 1,000 men, women and children entered Illinois from the Iowa territory to reclaim land previously ceded to the United States in a disputed treaty. The occupation led to a three-month war, pitting some 500 warriors against about 3,000 Illinois militia and U.S. government troops. The defeat of Black Hawk and his followers established white control of the Great Lakes region. This portrait shows Black Hawk in traditional Sauk dress, with a feather headdress and clamshell wampum necklace. The medallion around his neck is typical of those presented by U.S. government officials to American Indians as treaty gifts; they usually bore images of U.S. presidents, but this one depicts an unknown man - perhaps a self-portrait of the artist Henderson. | |||
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Portrait
of Black Hawk, by Homer Henderson, c. 1875, after a portrait by
Charles Bird King, 1837
Click image to enlarge. Copyright 2002 The Chicago Historical Society |
Image 4 of 15
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