USA Iowa - The History : USA  

USA Iowa - The History - Travel guide

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USA Iowa - The History

The History

Iowa is named for a Native American tribe and is nicknamed for Chief Black Hawk. The so-called Black Hawk War ended in 1832 near present-day New Albin. Following the war, the Sauk and Fox Indians were forced to make their first land cessions west of the Mississippi. They gave the United States the fertile Mississippi River valley lands of eastern Iowa in exchange for a small amount of cash, 40 barrels of salt, 40 barrels of tobacco and some blacksmithing services. A year later, the tribes were ordered to leave the area. Today, descendants of the two tribes live in the Meskwaki Settlement, an area of land around Tama in central Iowa that was bought back from the government in 1856.

The first United States citizens to visit present Iowa were members of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which transited the area en route to the Pacific Ocean shortly after the Louisiana Purchase. Today, a monument commemorates Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only member who died during the expedition.

Acquired by U.S.: Present Iowa was part of the Louisiana Purchase, the vast wilderness President Thomas Jefferson bought from France.

White settlement began with the Black Hawk Purchase, after which Iowa became part of Michigan Territory. In 1836, Michigan achieved statehood and Iowa then became a part of Wisconsin Territory. Finally, two years later, Iowa Territory was carved out of the area of Wisconsin Territory west of the Mississippi River.

Iowa became the 28th State to unite under America on December 28, 1846.