Description:

Black Hawk
Cincinnati, OH, ca. 1838
Unusual 1838 "The Life & Adventures of Black Hawk," Condemning U.S. Government Policy
Book

A first edition hardcover copy of Benjamin Drake (1794-1841), "The Life and Adventures of Black Hawk: With Sketches of Keokuk, the Sac and Fox Indians, and the late Black Hawk War" (Cincinnati: George Conclin, Main Street. Stereotyped by J.A. James, 1838). The handsome frontispiece features a 3" square engraved portrait of Black Hawk signed in stone by "Lovejoy. Sc." With purple publisher's cloth-covered boards embossed with pretty floral designs, and a printed paper spine label. An ownership book plate has been removed from the front pastedown endpaper and a call number label has been removed from the spine. Fading/sunning mostly confined to the spine and upper and lower headbands. Scattered foxing, toning, and ghost ink impressions within, else very good. Preface: 5-7; Contents: 9-11; 13-221; Appendix: 222-248; Index: 249-252. 4.25" x 6.625" x .625."

The Preface states in part: "If the present volume shall, in any degree, contribute to awaken the public mind to a sense of the wrongs inflicted upon the Indians, and to arouse the Christian statesmen of this land, to the adoption of a more liberal, upright and benevolent course of policy towards them, something will have been gained to the cause of humanity and of national honor…" (pp. 6-7)

Benjamin Drake was a historian, writer, and longtime editor of the "Cincinnati Chronicle." In this copy of a title that is not widely available, Drake takes a controversial position on Black Hawk (ca. 1767-1838), the Sauk leader who rallied Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo warriors to cross the border into Illinois in April 1832, sparking the Black Hawk War. Instead of relying on derogatory tropes of Native Americans, Drake contests them. He argues that Indian policy should be reevaluated, and that indigenous peoples were mistreated by both the U.S. government or by average Americans. Drake's sympathetic portrait of indigenous peoples was certainly a novel approach in the early 19th C., when the political discourse was focused on removal, reservations, and frontier warfare. Drake's Preface is dated May 1838, the start date of the Cherokee Removal of 1838-1839, when over 16,000 Cherokee tribal members and enslaved African Americans were forcibly relocated from ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to reservations in the West.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 4.25" x 6.625" x .625"
  • Medium: Book

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

October 8, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000