this american life has an outstanding episode, “Little War on the Prairie”, on the dakota war of 1862 which led to the public hanging of 38 sioux, the largest mass execution in american history in mankato minnesota. i’m not a minnesotan, but it’s amazing to me that i’ve never heard of the battle or what happened in the ironically named sibley park ( listen to the episode to learn why ). there’s no mention of the event on the mankato sibley park page. i wonder if there’s even a marker. it’s a somber reminder of all the battles ( and massacres ) that took place all around us in the upper midwest in the name of manifest destiny. indeed, the bad axe massacre took place in victory wisconsin less than 30 miles from where i live now.