Before It Became History | Black Hawk: The Treaty He Never Accepted and the War of 1832

Sandra Day O'Connor Institute · Oct 23, 2026 · 17m

In 1804, five men signed a treaty the U.S. said ceded Saukenuk, the Sauk village Black Hawk called home. He never accepted that. We follow his return to Illinois in 1832, the war that followed, and the disaster at Bad Axe, in his own words.

Before It Became History, a podcast series from the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute, explores the people and moments that shaped the American story. Each episode looks beyond the legend to examine the decisions, conflicts, and ideas that tested the promise of liberty and helped define our democracy.

This is history before it hardened into memory — and a…