Winnebago at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, Illinois (1832)

What happened

On September 15, 1832, Major General Winfield Scott and Illinois Governor John Reynolds signed a treaty for the United States at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, Illinois. The Winnebago nation, represented in general council, ceded "all the lands, to which said nation have title or claim, lying to the south and east of the Wisconsin river, and the Fox river of Green Bay."

In Article 2 the United States granted the Winnebago part of the "Neutral ground" on the west side of the Mississippi, "to be held as other Indian lands are held." Article 3 explains an annuity. Because the ceded country was "more extensive and valuable than that given by the United States in exchange," the United States would pay $10,000 a year in specie for twenty-seven years. It also promised a school near Fort Crawford or Prairie du Chien for twenty-seven years, farm help, tobacco, physicians, a blacksmith's shop and thirty days of rations for those who had to move. No band could live, plant, fish or hunt on the ceded land after June 1 of the next year.

Article 9 required the nation to seize and deliver nine Winnebagoes, eight of them named, to a U.S. military post "to be dealt with according to law." The text says they were accused of killing American citizens or wounding a soldier "in the course of the past spring and summer." Until that was done, the $10,000 annuity "shall be suspended." The Statutes at Large record a proclamation on February 13, 1833.

Summarized with AI assistance from 3 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error