A brief 1827 conflict between Ho-Chunk people and U.S. settlers that accelerated Indian removal policy and preceded the larger Black Hawk War of 1832.
Key Facts
- Year
- 1827
- Region
- Upper Mississippi River region, present-day Wisconsin
- Key figure surrendered
- Red Bird, believed ringleader by U.S. officials
- Red Bird's fate
- Died in prison in 1828 awaiting trial
- Land ceded
- Ho-Chunk forced to cede lead mining region to U.S.
- Forts built or reoccupied
- Fort Winnebago built; two abandoned forts reoccupied
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) people faced encroachment by lead miners trespassing on their lands and were alarmed by false rumors that the United States had handed two Ho-Chunk prisoners over to a rival tribe for execution. These grievances prompted a portion of the tribe to carry out attacks on American civilians in the Upper Mississippi region.
The Winnebago War of 1827 consisted of limited attacks on American civilians by a segment of the Ho-Chunk tribe in what is now Wisconsin. Most neighboring Native Americans declined to join the uprising. U.S. authorities responded with a show of military force, leading Ho-Chunk chiefs to surrender eight participants, including Red Bird, effectively ending the brief conflict.
The Ho-Chunk were compelled to cede the lead mining region to the United States. The U.S. expanded its military presence by building Fort Winnebago and reoccupying two abandoned forts. The conflict reinforced among some officials the view that Native peoples should be relocated westward, strengthening support for Indian removal policy, and directly foreshadowed the Black Hawk War of 1832.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent