Black Hawk
Autobiography
Introduction
As was often the case with texts authored by people of color in the 19th century, the title page of Black Hawk’s autobiography relates several details geared at “authenticating” the narrative. Today, we see these conventions as ridiculous, yet they were expected during a time when (white) audiences would be skeptical about the abilities of authors of color. The supporting details included in Black Hawk’s autobiography include affidavits from the Illinois Clerk of the Court and Antoine LeClaire, Black Hawk’s translator. The title page also indicates that the narrative is “dictated by himself,” a point that is further emphasized in the following testimony by his editor, J.B. Patterson, who Black Hawk dictated the narrative to. Patterson writes:
It is presumed that no apology will be required for presenting to the public the life of a Hero who has lately taken such high rank among the distinguished individuals of America. In the following pages he will be seen in the character of a Warrior, a Patriot and a State prisoner; in every situation he is still the chief of his Band, asserting their rights with dignity, firmness and courage. Several accounts of the late war having been published, in which he thinks justice is not done to himself or nation, he determined to make known to the world the injuries his people have received from the whites, the causes which brought on the war on the part of his nation, and a general history of it throughout the campaign. In his opinion this is the only method now left him to rescue his little Band, the remnant of those who fought bravely with him, from the effects of the statements that have already gone forth.
Patterson’s words immediately precede these, which Black Hawk offers in his dedication:
The changes of many summers have brought old age upon me, and I can not expect to survive many moons. Before I set out on my journey to the land of my fathers, I have determined to give my motives and reasons for my former hostilities to the whites, and to vindicate my character from misrepresentation. […] May the Great Spirit shed light on yours, and that you may never experience the humility that the power of the American government has reduced me to, is the wish of him, who, in his native forests, was once as proud and bold as yourself.
In his own words, Black Hawk explains that he will offer his own testimony about the Black Hawk Wars and how they began. Further, he intends to “vindicate” himself from the ways that others would “misrepresent” him. Like so many other texts in this section, and like so many other texts authored by people of color, Black Hawk’s Autobiography serves multiple functions. It is not only a history of himself, but it is also a history of his people and an effort to correct and broaden our understanding of what transpired between him, his tribe, and the U.S. government.
Discussion Questions
- Compare Black Hawk’s dedication with Patterson’s editorial note.