The Battle of Fort Dearborn (sometimes Fort Dearborn Massacre) is an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Indians that occurs on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is today Chicago, Illinois (at this time an undeveloped part of the Illinois Territory).
The battle, which occurs during the War of 1812, immediately follows the evacuation of the fort as ordered by the commander of the United States Army of the Northwest, William Hull.
The battle lasts about fifteen minutes and results in a complete victory for the Potawatomi.
After the battle, Fort Dearborn is burned down.
Some of the soldiers and settlers who had survived and are taken captive will later be ransomed.
Following the battle, the federal government becomes convinced that all natives have to be removed from the territory and the vicinity of any settlements, as settlers continue to migrate to the area.
