On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux braves were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers.



Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion from the Santee Sioux Tribe, whose members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today.