Track 4 — Forces That Changed Iowa

Official settlement of Iowa began in 1833 when the federal government negotiated “The Blackhawk Purchase.”  The Sac, Fox, and Winnebago sold 6 million acres at 11 cents an acre. This was the second treaty that affected the territory and was one of 10 that were used to acquired the 36 million acres that would become Iowa.

     Settlement meant roads, farms, and towns. From 1840 to 1844, Iowa doubled its population and became a state in 1846. Even with the rich prairie soil, farmers straightened wandering rivers, drained wetlands, and controlled the water table under their fields by installing tiles making Iowa a controlled landscape. This helped the introduced crops with their shallow roots averaging 3-6 feet reach water, when compared with the deeper roots of the native tallgrass plants.