Black Earth, Wisconsin (Potawatomi village) facts for kids

Black Earth (in Potawatomi: Ma-Kah-Da-We-Kah-Mich-Cock) was a village in what is now Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. It was home to Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe people. Native Americans lived there for hundreds of years.

Black Earth was special because it was one of the few Potawatomi communities that remained in Wisconsin. This was after many Potawatomi people had to leave the state. They left because of an agreement called the 1833 Treaty of Chicago.

History of Black Earth

In January 1852, Andrew J. Vieau and his wife, Rebecca, bought the land where Black Earth was located. They started giving parts of the land to individual Native American families.

Later, in 1858, a man named John Axtell found out that the Native Americans living there were not paying taxes on their land. Without their knowing, he started paying these taxes himself. He did this to try and gain ownership of their land.

By 1862, John Axtell claimed he owned the land. He then worked with about 15 other men to force the Native Americans to leave. Around 1,000 people were forced from their homes. They had to become refugees. These families split into smaller groups. They moved to northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Notable People

• Simon Kahquados, a leader and activist of the Potawatomi people.