Honest Abe? : The Minnesota Great Sioux Uprising
Abraham Lincoln is known to be “America’s Honest Man” right? We all know that any human is not so perfect, but the aspect that the world gives this man, Abraham Lincoln, is that he IS a very good man indeed. Well, this might change your mind about “Honest Abe.” Some people say that they can’t make good decisions. Well, Lincoln better have because he had to choose the faith of life or death for over 300 Sioux Indian men.
1819-1851
Dakota has existed for many generations now, surrounding the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. Real change happened after 1819. Federal soldiers built Fort Snelling, a sprawling outpost above the mouth of the Minnesota River. After that, white traders and settlers came in great numbers. Treaties were offered for the land in 1837, 1851 and in 1858, Minnesota pushed Dakota off of their native lands, westward onto a narrow 100 mile long reservation on the ruthless prairies along the Minnesota River. The government made the Dakota change their way of life too. The government preferred them to cut their hair, learn English, and to take up farming. Even if the farming failed miserably year after year, the Dakota ended up depending on the government for food and money. Most of the time they were always left with very little due to cause of the money paid for the annuity gold shipment that was promised by the white people’s land treaties and to the people who had given credit to the Dakota for goods purchased at higher prices. Those Dakota who refused to give up their traditional ways were in an even worse position and spent their winters harshly in near-starvation conditions.
SUMMER 1962
The cost that the Civil War was giving the government was sucking them dry out of money and people were saying that there wasn’t going to be any annuity gold for the Dakota. People who were credited for giving the Dakota food goods were refusing to be so “open” and “giving” to the Dakota now. One of the “oh-so-giving” traders named Andrew Myrick said that if the Dakota were hungry that they should eat grass! The Dakota grew very tense. Even one Indian named Killing Ghost that murdered 5 white settlers on August 17. They thought that this was an opportunity to retaliate at the government. They depended on Little Crow to help do this. He wanted nothing to do with war with the whites because he knew of the disaster that would follow this action. He unwillingly gave in because he was asked to by a challenge to his authority. Ironically the annuity gold shipment had left St. Paul that same day.Later that same day, SUMMER 1962
The Dakota were ragingly mad! They killed from 400-800 white settlers in just the first four days. Farms and fields burned as they were on their rampage of fury. They killed dozens, starting with the reservation agencies. One of the victims was Andrew Myrick. They literally shoved grass into his mouth while dying for saying “The Dakota could at grass if they get hungry.” They attacked and demolished most of the town of New Ulm, but they didn’t capture it from its armed residents. Minnesota started to panic. Many settlers fled and left the states.
Letters mailed from Pope to Lincoln
Pope first mailed Lincoln the names of the people who were suspected of murder or rape towards young girls. It cost Pope $400 to mail this to him. Lincoln sent back:
Lincoln: “Send the full and complete record of these convictions. Send all by mail.”
Pope: “The only distinction between the culprits is as to which of them murdered most people or violated most young girls. All of them are guilty of these things in more or less degree.”
Pope was selfish about keeping his own money, that’s why he wanted all of those Indians executed.
A lot telegrams and mail came from both sides of the situation, both arguing for their sides. Many offered advice to help him decide this horrible position of being.
Letters mailed from Lincoln to General Joseph Holt
Lincoln : “Three hundred Indians have been sentenced to death in Minnesota by a Military Commission, and execution only awaits my action.”
General Holt: “I wish your legal opinion whether if I should conclude to execute only a part of them, I must myself designate which, or could I leave the designation to some officer on the ground? I am quite sure the power cannot be delegated.”
Lincoln started to look over the trials to start deciding who lives and who doesn't.
Late 1862
The Emancipation Proclamation is going on and a couple military disasters are going on and Lincoln’s head is full of problems and situations to think over. Even with everything Lincoln is going through with the dreadful wars he still has one more agonizing thought horrifying him yet again. He has to choose whether life or death take over the lives of 303 Sioux Indian men. These Indian men were convicted of war crimes in Minnesota. This was called “The Minnesota Great Sioux Uprising.” This was one of the first and bloodiest of the Indian wars on the Western Frontiers, now called “The Dakota-U.S. Conflict.” Americans, white settlers, and soldiers were killed that day. The Union established unfair commissions that condemned these Indians to be sentenced to death, but even if they are sentenced to death, the task has to be approved by the president.
“Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on the one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other” – Lincoln
Lincoln understood the Sioux Indian’s side of this, but he also had to think for his colony, his country, and the people. Lincoln ignored the white population’s thirst for revenge and started looking upon the Indian’s records and started deciding their fates.
Mankato, Minnesota, December 16, 1862.
That was the date when the 38 Sioux Indian men were hanged. the true count of war dead was 77 soldiers, 413 white civilians, and 71 Indians (38 of which were those executed in Mankato). Both sides suffered greatly. No Dakota were permitted to live in Minnesota and the bounty on Dakota scalps was raised. Indian annuities were ended and given to settlers to help them rebuild their shattered lives.
How this CHANGED history
Abraham Lincoln and his decision to change the lives of many Sioux Indian families changed history somewhat. It didn’t really change history worldwide, but he changed the Sioux’s history. He helped people understand the different ways to use the land; farming, housing, factories, schools, etc. The Sioux stayed more confined in their territory. He helped the economy grow larger with his use of mind. He made people acknowledge the use of their land and with this conflict people educated more children and spreaded their mind with religion because of a program that was started to help the situation. It made their lives a little bit easier to bear and helped them go on through with their lives.
William Cronon
“We must remember that the seeds of this conflict stemmed from disparate views over land use…”
Bibliography/Works Cited
INFO
· http://www.historynet.com/abraham-lincoln-deciding-the-fate-of-300-indians-convicted-of-war-crimes-in-minnesotas-great-sioux-uprising.htm
· http://www3.mpls.k12.mn.us/marcy/SA/reports/Kuehn,%20Erika/Uprising.html
· http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/environmental-studies/courses/es-399%20home/es-399-02/Mcleod/NAtAmStuff/ES399McLeodIndians.html
William Cronon
“We must remember that the seeds of this conflict stemmed from disparate views over land use…”
Bibliography/Works Cited
INFO
· http://www.historynet.com/abraham-lincoln-deciding-the-fate-of-300-indians-convicted-of-war-crimes-in-minnesotas-great-sioux-uprising.htm
· http://www3.mpls.k12.mn.us/marcy/SA/reports/Kuehn,%20Erika/Uprising.html
· http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/environmental-studies/courses/es-399%20home/es-399-02/Mcleod/NAtAmStuff/ES399McLeodIndians.html
