History: American Control
Prairie du Chien became part of the United States in 1783, when the Treaty of Paris was signed to end the Revolutionary War. American ownership, however, did not mean American control. The first American expedition to Prairie du Chien did not arrive until 1805, when Lt. Zebulon Pike was sent to explore the Upper Mississippi River. Pike realized the strategic importance of the region, and he immediately recommended the construction of a fort at the junction of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. It took nearly a decade for the U.S. to follow through on his suggestion.
Finally, in 1814, American troops arrived at Prairie du Chien to build Fort Shelby. They chose as the site for the fort a mound in the Main Village, hoping to keep British forces out of the Mississippi Valley during the ongoing War of 1812. The poorly manned fort proved hard to defend, however. The British and their American Indian allies attacked Fort Shelby on July 17, 1814, and after a three day siege, they took control. Fort Shelby was renamed Fort McKay following the British victory. Less than a year later, however, the Treaty of Ghent ended the war and restored Prairie du Chien to the United States. The British left in May 1815, and Fort McKay was burnt to the ground. The United States now sought to establish its ownership of the Upper Mississippi River by constructing new forts through the region.
Next: The First Fort Crawford
Fort McKay, as painted by Peter Rindisbacher.