The War of 1812 in Wisconsin: The Battle for Prairie du Chien

by Mary Elise Antoine

Overview

In The War of 1812 in Wisconsin, author Mary Elise Antoine brings a little-known corner of Wisconsin’s history to life. Prairie du Chien, located just above mouth of the Wisconsin River, was the key to trade on the upper Mississippi. Whoever controlled the prairie commanded the immense territory inhabited by thousands of American Indians—and the fur they traded. When war broke out between the United States and Great Britain in 1812, British and Americans fought to maintain the ever-shifting alliance of the tribes.

This is the story of the battle for the control of Prairie du Chien and the western country, which began many years before the three-day siege in July of 1814 for which the Battle of Prairie du Chien is named. It is also the tale of the people, Euro-American and Native, who lived in pre-territorial Wisconsin and how the contest for control of the region affected their lives and livelihoods. The outcome of the War of 1812 would determine what "manifest destiny" would mean to all who called these lands home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870207396
Publisher:	Wisconsin Historical Society
Publication date:	05/09/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	287
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Mary Elise Antoine is president of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society and former curator at Villa Louis. She has written numerous articles and books on Prairie du Chien, including two volumes with Arcadia Publishing. She is co-editor, with Lucy Murphy, of the forthcoming book Frenchtown Chronicles of Prairie du Chien: History and Folklore from Wisconsin’s Frontier, forthcoming from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Table of Contents

Contents Note on the Text Introduction 1. La Baye and Prairie du Chien: French Origins and Settlement, 1634–1800 2. British Trade in United States Territory, 1783–1802 3. Zebulon Pike Explores the Upper Mississippi River, 1803–1806 4. United States Indian Agents at Prairie du Chien, 1807–1811 5. Tecumseh’s Rebellion and the Declaration of War, 1811–1812 6. Robert Dickson and “His Majesty’s Faithful Indian Allies,”1812–1813 7. Dickson Unites the Tribes, 1813–1814 8. William Clark’s Expedition to Prairie du Chien, March–June 1814 9. The Battle for Prairie du Chien, July 1814 10. American Attempts at Relief and British Successes, July–September 1814 11. Tensions at Fort McKay, September 1814–January 1815 12. News of Peace, January–April 1815 13. Peace and Its Aftermath, April–August 1815 Conclusion Notes Acknowledgments Index

Editorial Reviews

Of all the theaters of the War of 1812, the upper Mississippi valley undoubtedly has been the least researched. This is not surprising when one considers that it was the most peripheral theater in a war that occurred largely on the peripheries of both the United States and British Canada. Thus, Mary Elise Antoine's highly readable volume is a welcome addition to a growing body of historical literature concerning the conflict. (Patrick J. Jung, The Annals of Iowa, July 2017)

From the Publisher