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Punk Island Research Paper

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The Arsenal Island has always been a center point for trade or military. Rock Island was the Native American’s natural fortress in time of war. This is where all of the children and women went if there was a battle nearby. Around 10,000 Native Americans lived off the coast of the Rock River and used Rock Island as a place of recreation and where the Good Spirit lived. At this time the British had trade shops set up. In 1760 the British decided that the Sauk capital at Rock Island would be their trading center. This is when the island is first recognized as an important trading and military center. When the revolutionary war started the colonists went to Rock Island to talk to the Sauk to try to have them fight on their side. Both sides wanted …show more content…

They burned their capital to the ground. This was probably the first time and American flag was seen at Rock Island. A treaty was signed in 1783 between Great Britain and the United States pacing the U.S. in possession of the land on Arsenal Island. The U.S. recognized that the land belonged to the Indians but they either bought the land from them or eventually forced them out. In 1804 Rock Island was bought in a treaty formed from six chiefs from the Sauk and Foxes. The first fort was built on Rock Island in 1816, it was named after the Secretary of War who had just died, Fort Armstrong. The building was 270 square feet with twenty foot high walls built of stone and wood. The walls were only on the South and East sides of the building because cliffs off the island were on the other sides. On either side there was a two story blockhouse with cannons inside. There was a barracks, storehouse, and a hospital built near the walls as well. The garrison stationed at the Fort varied in numbers every year. It started with 600 men but the number was reduced to 100 from 1819 to 1823. After 1823 there were 200 men until 1836. There were some increases during the Black Hawk war but they were only

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