[2][3] Keokuk was born around 1780 on the Rock River in what soon became Illinois Territory to a Sauk warrior of the Fox clan and his wife of mixed lineage.

[2] In 1824, he visited Washington, D.C., with other Native American leaders, including Chief Wapello also of the Meskwaki people (sometimes called the Fox tribe).

At one time, in May 1832, Keokuk broke in upon a war dance that his band was holding preparatory to uniting with Black Hawk against the whites, and convinced the warriors in the heat of their fury that such would be suicidal and must not be undertaken.

[7]In July 1830, Keokuk was one of several native leaders who entered into the Fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien with Indian Agent William Clark.

When Black Hawk returned from a foray (or attempted settlement in Iowa) and found white settlers in his ancestral village, he took up arms, and solicited general co-operation from his tribe.

A four hundred square mile strip surrounding Keokuk's village in Iowa was exempted from the 1832 Black Hawk Purchase, a treaty which ended the war and which was negotiated at Fort Armstrong, Illinois (near Rock Island) in September 1832,.

[8] In August 1833, U. S. authorities formally delivered Black Hawk (who had been taken as a captive to Washington, D.C., and eastern cities), to the custody of Keokuk, who had been officially recognized as the principal chief of the Sauks and Foxes in that treaty.

[1] In 1837, with several of his nation's village chiefs, Keokuk visited Washington, where a peace was arranged between his people and their old-time adversaries, the Sioux.

In August 1842, Keokuk and several tribal members (including wives), visited Nauvoo, Illinois,[9] and he soon negotiated the sale of the tribe's land across the river in Iowa (his friend Chief Wapello having died in March).

Alternate sources describe the cause of his death as dysentery,[5] alcoholism,[6] or poison administered by a disaffected surviving member of the Black Hawk band who was soon executed.