The war was a four-month engagement involving the sauk, kickapoo, and meskwaki tribes.

The name of the war which was between the United States in a span of four months from April to August 1832 was named Black Hawk War. This was the bloody war which involved the sauk, kickapoo, and meskwaki tribes. The Native Americans were led by Black Hawk (Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak).  Known to have led some 1,000 Sauk, Meskwaki, and Kickapoo men, women, and children, including about 500 warriors, across the Mississippi River to reclaim land in Illinois that tribal spokesmen had surrendered to the U.S. in 1804, it was Black Hawk, 65-year old Sauk warrior who had the reputation of doing all of these. When the crossing of the band happened in Illinois, the white settlers were angry and fearful. Due to these, around 70,000 men mobilized against them who included members of the U.S. Army, state militias, and warriors from various other Indian peoples. Approximately, there were 450–600 Indians and 70 soldiers and settlers who were killed during the war. The tribes had to fled to the West by the year 1837, leaving most of the former Northwest Territory to white settlement. During the war, there were names who will then soon after have big roles in the history of the United States. Among those who participated in various roles included Abraham Lincoln and Zachary Taylor who were to rule as presidents of the United States in the future, Winfield Scott, who was a the military leader and presidential candidate , and Jefferson Davis, who will also be the  president of the Confederate States of America.