Status Coup News and MeidasTouch Jan 16, 2026 MINNEAPOLIS Independent reporter Zach D Roberts was LIVE ON THE GROUND on January 15th, 2026 from ICE protests in Minneapolis outside the Whipple Federal Building. As ICE agents continued attacking unarmed protesters, Native Americans from the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council arrived looking in the ICE prison for three Minneapolis Oglala Sioux tribal members who were taken by ICE in the Little Earth community. Status Coup has reported ON THE GROUND THROUGHOUT 2025 and 2026 covering Trump’s ICE terror and protests against fascism in LA, NYC, Alligator Alcatraz, Chicago, Charlotte, and now Minneapolis. This on-scene reporting is VERY important, VERY expensive, and we are INDEPENDENTLY FUNDED. Support us for as as a paying member for as low as $5 bucks a month: https://statuscoup.com/join
- Google AI Overview
Yes, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the execution of 38 Dakota men, the largest mass execution in U.S. history, carried out on December 26, 1862, in Mankato, Minnesota, following the Dakota War of 1862, with Lincoln approving sentences for those convicted of rape or massacre, not just battle participation, showing a complex, though controversial, decision balancing justice and political pressure.
Context of the Executions
- The U.S.-Dakota War (1862): A conflict erupted in southern Minnesota due to broken treaties, delayed food supplies, and encroaching settlers, leading to fighting between Dakota warriors and U.S. forces.
- Military Trials: A military commission tried 303 Dakota men, sentencing many to death.
- Lincoln’s Review: Lincoln reviewed the cases, focusing on evidence of rape or massacre, ultimately approving 38 of the 303 death sentences, a decision partly influenced by a desire to avoid being seen as cruel or encouraging more violence.
The Execution
- Date & Location: December 26, 1862, in Mankato, Minnesota.
- Mass Execution: A scaffold was built for the simultaneous hanging of 38 men, with one reprieve granted at the last minute.
- Aftermath: The event remains a deeply painful memory for Dakota people, marked by annual commemorations like the Dakota 38+2 ceremonial run, honoring the lives lost and seeking healing from historical trauma.
Lincoln’s Stance
- Lincoln’s decision to only hang those involved in massacres, rather than all convicted, showed a lawyer’s effort to apply a legal standard, even as he faced pressure for harsher punishment, famously stating he “could not afford to hang men for votes”.
