On This Day

Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is the first Native American Indian language monthly magazine

The Shawnee Sun (Shawnee: Siwinowe Kesibwi) newspaper was published in the Shawnee language from 1835 to 1844, in the portion of Indian Territory that became Kansas.

The Shawnee Sun (Shawnee: Siwinowe Kesibwi) newspaper was published in the Shawnee language from 1835 to 1844, in the portion of Indian Territory that became Kansas. The paper was founded by Baptist missionary Jotham Meeker, who created his own script for Shawnee, an Algonquian language. This missionary newspaper was intended to give the Shawnee a written language, aid in education and news, and to help convert the tribe to Christianity. It is the first newspaper published entirely in a Native American language, and the first newspaper printed in what became Kansas.

Historical Significance

The Shawnee Sun (Shawnee: Siwinowe Kesibwi) newspaper was published in the Shawnee language from 1835 to 1844, in the portion of Indian Territory that became Kansas.

Events Before

  1. German Zollverein (Customs Union) comes into effect

    The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.

  2. Religious leader Brigham Young (32) weds herbalist Mary Ann Angell (27)

    Religious leader Brigham Young (32) weds herbalist Mary Ann Angell (27)

  3. Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into effect, abolishing slavery across the British Empire

    Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into effect, abolishing slavery across the British Empire

  4. American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison (28) weds Helen Eliza Benson (22), in Boston, Massachusetts

    American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison (28) weds Helen Eliza Benson (22), in Boston, Massachusetts

  5. US Congressman and future US President Franklin Pierce (29) weds Jane Appleton (28) at her grandparents' home in Amherst

    US Congressman and future US President Franklin Pierce (29) weds Jane Appleton (28) at her grandparents' home in Amherst, New Hampshire

Events After

  1. Author Harriet Beecher (24) weds educator Calvin Ellis Stowe (33) in Cincinnati, Ohio

    Author Harriet Beecher (24) weds educator Calvin Ellis Stowe (33) in Cincinnati, Ohio

  2. The Alamo is besieged for 13 days until March 6 by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna; the entire garrison is eve

    The Alamo is besieged for 13 days until March 6 by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna; the entire garrison is eventually killed

  3. Battle of the Alamo: After 13 days of fighting, 1,500 to 3,000 Mexican soldiers overwhelm the Texan defenders, killing 1

    Battle of the Alamo: After 13 days of fighting, 1,500 to 3,000 Mexican soldiers overwhelm the Texan defenders, killing 182 to 257 Texans, including William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett

  4. English novelist and social critic Charles Dickens (24) marries Catherine Thomson Hogarth (20)

    Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic.

  5. Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later known as King Dom Fernando II upon the bir

    Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later known as King Dom Fernando II upon the birth of their son, Pedro V of Portugal

More from the 1830s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 24, 1835?
The Shawnee Sun (Shawnee: Siwinowe Kesibwi) newspaper was published in the Shawnee language from 1835 to 1844, in the portion of Indian Territory that became Kansas. The paper was founded by Baptist missionary Jotham Meeker, who created his own script for Shawnee, an Algonquian language. This missionary newspaper was intended to give the Shawnee a written language, aid in education and news, and to help convert the tribe to Christianity.
Why is Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is the first Native American Indian language m... significant?
The Shawnee Sun (Shawnee: Siwinowe Kesibwi) newspaper was published in the Shawnee language from 1835 to 1844, in the portion of Indian Territory that became Kansas.

Explore More