what led to the Dakota war and the deadly massacre of 38 Native Americans in 1862?

Question

Native Americans today are unsettled by the fact that history is not being told truthfully in history books. they are still dealing with historical trauma from the past. what is the true story behind this war? what kind of man was president Lincoln to massacre all these people? was it to save the union? was he really a passionate man or a savage?

Answer 1

A little known war occurred in Minnesota in 1862. The eastern Sioux living in Minnesota went to war after the US government broke its promises. The Us gov't had already engaged in treaties which forced the Sioux to give up most of its lands in Minnesota. Further, the US had promise annuity payments to the Native Americans and year after year they had arrived later and later until finally they were being claimed by traders for so-called debt payments.

This resulted in groups of Native American men banding together and attacking white settlers. Over the next few days more bands of Sioux joined in similar acts resulting in intervention by Minnesota militia. Feder aid was not coming due to the demands of the Civil War. President Lincoln finally engaged General Pope to oversee the action in Minnesota.

Many whites had been killed along with around 100 Sioux warriors. The result was the Sioux were pushed out of Minnesota to lands in current South Dakota. 38 warriors who had been convicted were finally hanged. This number is much lower than the original 307 due the fact President Lincoln sought to weed out those who engaged US soldiers vs those who sought and killed civilians