Thomas Müller & Christoph Junk 
The life and times of Black Hawk. Historical events and persons 

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2003 im Fachbereich BWL – Sonstiges, Note: 1, 3, Universität Paderborn (Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften), Veranstaltung: US Politics, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Black Hawk’s famous “Surrender Speech” is one of the most popular examples of the great dignity and honor that the Native American spirit and culture stood for, even in the face of the falseness, suppression and cruelty of the American colonization policy. The events that led to it (the so-called “Black Hawk War”) are exemplary not only for his tribe (the Sauk-Fox) or region, but for the Native American population as a whole and their mistreatment by the “white man” throughout American History. Only in recent times (mid-1900s) has American society done some rethinking about the issue; far too late for the vast majority of the native American population.

We will try to shed some light on some of the events in Black Hawk’s lifetime (that might have formed his opinions and attitudes), which is e.g. the War of 1812 between Britain and the US or the “Indian Removal Act” (1830). We will also have a close look at Chief Tecumseh and his struggle for a united Indian nation.