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Description

The Most Enduring Image from the Dakota War of 1862

A color lithograph illustrating the momentous events of December 26, 1862—the largest mass execution in U.S. history, where 38 Santee Sioux Indian men were executed in Mankato, Minnesota during the Dakota War of 1862. This piece offers a visual account of a profound moment in American-Indigenous history.

The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, arose from escalating tensions between the Dakota Sioux and white settlers in Minnesota. These tensions were fueled by a series of failed treaties and delayed annuity payments from the Federal Government, which exacerbated the hardships faced by the Dakota tribes. This lithograph brings to life one of the most critical junctures in the conflict: the mass execution of 38 Sioux men. The image captures the condemned men on the scaffold, with nooses affixed, at the precipice of their execution—a telling testament to the grave consequences of the unrest.

The execution was a response to the outbreak of violence in the summer of 1862, where a council at Little Crow's village agreed to attack white settlements following the murder of five white settlers by four native individuals. The United States sent two regiments to quell the violence, and military tribunals were set up to try the accused. Despite appeals to President Lincoln to execute all 303 captives, only 38 were sentenced to death, a decision influenced by the nature of their crimes—specifically, those who were accused of killing civilians.

The use of color in the lithograph heightens the impact of the scene, providing an unvarnished portrayal of this pivotal moment in American history. It offers a visual entry point into the complex narrative of American-Indigenous relations, capturing a significant event that underscores the fraught intersection of cultures, justice, and retribution.

Condition Description
Small (~1 x .5-inch) abrasion in the sky expertly retouched.