The Battle of the Acton Farm

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Dakota warriors led by Little Crow started their assault at the federal outpost that sat on their land, the Lower Sioux Agency. Some Dakota killed every settler they saw; others killed only the men and took women and children captive. Historian Mary Wingard says for a hundred years or more, Minnesotans heard a one-sided tale of savage Indians attacking innocent whites out of the blue. Now most historians blame the war mainly on white double-dealing and bullying.

Growing up in Mankato, Minnesota, John Biewen heard next to nothing about the town’s most important historical event. In 1862, Mankato was the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history – the hanging of 38 Dakota warriors – following one of the major wars between Plains Indians and settlers. In this documentary, originally produced for This American Life, John goes back to Minnesota to explore what happened, and why Minnesotans didn’t talk about it afterwards.

Image: The Minnesota State Seal, 1858

Key sources for this episode:

Gwen Westerman, Mni Sota MakoceMary Wingerd, North Country: The Making of Minnesota