The Indians in Wisconsin's HistoryDouglass, John M.
History
The Indians in Wisconsin's History
Douglass, John M.
Indians of North America -- Wisconsin; Wisconsin -- History
The Fox surrendered after three days of fighting and agreed to accept
terms which Louvigny thought very severe, but which his Indian allies
regarded as overmild. The terms included the requirement that the Fox
pay for the costs of the expedition against them by means of furs yet to
be gathered, to give up prisoners taken from the allies of the French,
to furnish a number of hostages to guarantee their future good behavior,
and to cede their territory to the French King.
The peace temporarily halted the bloody warfare of the four preceding
years and permitted the fur trade to be resumed. The concentration
policy had proven to be a failure, and shortly after the death of Louis
XIV, in 1715, the posts were once more occupied and the licensing system
for the fur trade was restored. A fort was built at La Baye (Green Bay)
in 1717, and a post was occupied at Chequamegon Bay to keep the Chippewa
from attacking the Fox and causing a resumption of war, and also to
regulate the fur trade in that area.
[Illustration: EARLY FORT AT MICHILLIMACKINAC (MUSEUM MURAL BY
GEORGE PETER).]
The quite considerable friction between the colonies of Canada and
Louisiana provided the background for the events which led directly to
the Second Fox War. There was considerable argument as to the exact
boundaries of Illinois which now was annexed to Louisiana, although
originally settled by Canadians. The Fox took advantage of these
feelings of hostility by attacking the Illinois in the vicinity of
Kaskaskia, even killing Frenchmen in this area. The Fox claimed the
Illinois would not return Fox prisoners as they had promised according
to treaty. The Canadian governor, Vaudreuil, tended to side with the Fox
in the argument.
After the death of Vaudreuil, his temporary successor, Baron de
Longueuil ordered the Sieur de Lignery, commandant at Mackinac, to
enforce a peace between the Fox, Kickapoo, and Mascouten, and their
enemies, the Illinois. The Fox promised to obey this demand, and in
order to ensure their obedience, a new post was built in the Sioux
country. This was rendered necessary by the fact that the Dakota Sioux
had now become allies of the Fox, and the French intended to make sure
that no aid would be coming to the Fox from that warlike tribe. The
three forts in the northwest, at Chequamegon Bay, La Baye, and on the
upper Mississippi in the Sioux country were to be maintained rather
steadily until near the end of the French regime.
Meanwhile the Fox chief Kiala had succeeded in forming an alliance
against the French between the Fox and their long-time allies the
Kickapoo and Mascouten, and a series of other tribes including, in
addition to the nearby Winnebago, such far distant tribes as the Abnaki
and Seneca in the East, and the Dakota Sioux, Missouri, Iowa, and Oto in
the West. Kiala hoped by this means to form a hostile circle about the
French which would end in their complete defeat, a plan similar to that
later attempted by Pontiac, and Tecumseh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account