On December 26, 1862, thirty-eight Dakota men were hanged in Mankato, Minnesota, in what remains the largest mass execution in United States history. The hangings were ordered by President Abraham Lincoln in response to a series of battles between U.S. and Dakota forces commonly known as the U.S. – Dakota War of 1862. Learn more at https://www.colinmustful.com

Colin Mustful is a Minnesota author and historian with a unique story-telling style that tells History Through Fiction. His work focuses on Minnesota and surrounding regions during the complex transitional period as land was transferred from Native peoples to American hands. Mustful strives to create compelling stories about the real-life people and events of a tumultuous and misunderstood past. You can learn more about Colin and his work at https://www.colinmustful.com

Check out these other resources by historian/author Colin Mustful.

Novels
Fate of the Dakota: A Novel and Resource on the U.S.- Dakota War of 1862 - https://www.amazon.com/Fate-Dakota-Novel-Resource-U-S/dp/1329675258
Grace at Spirit Lake - https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Spirit-Lake-Colin-Mustful/dp/1483412652
Ceding Contempt: Minnesota’s Most Significant Historical Event - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1483448592
Resisting Removal: The Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WYCRV94

Online Textbook
Confronting Minnesota’s Past: A Resource to Test Your Understanding on the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6BEYE0

Online Educational Course
The U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 - https://www.udemy.com/course/the-us-dakota-war-of-1862/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ColinMustful
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/colinmustful
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Colin-Mustful/e/B00J8X3MC8
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7367036.Colin_Mustful

Images sourced from the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. Map of the U.S. - Dakota War from the Pond Dakota Heritage Society. Music sourced from Apple loops. Learn more at https://www.colinmustful.com/dakota38

Information sources:

John A. Haymond, The Infamous Dakota War Trials of 1862: Revenge, Military Law and the Judgment of History, (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2016).

Walt Bachman, Northern Slave Black Dakota: The Life and Times of Joseph Godfrey, (Bloomington, MN: Pond Dakota Press, 2013).