In the Muromachi period, the Satake served as Governor (shugo) of Hitachi Province (today Ibaraki Prefecture), under the aegis of the Ashikaga shogunate.

During the Boshin War of 1868–69, the Satake were signatories to the pact that formed the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei, but after internal debate and a disagreement with the Sendai Domain, the clan switched sides and joined the imperial forces in subduing the alliance.

[1] In the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the Satake family's heads served as hereditary governors (shugo) of Hitachi Province.

[1] In the Sengoku period, the Satake worked toward unifying the often rebellious clans of the Hitachi region under their control.

[5] After the fall of Odawara, Hideyoshi accepted them as vassals, and guaranteed their lordship of a 540,000 koku swath of territory in Hitachi Province.

[citation needed] In 1593, the Satake clan joined in Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea,[1] deploying troops to Nagoya Castle in Hizen Province.

It was also beset by an internal o-ie sōdō conflict, the Satake disturbance (佐竹騒動, Satake-sōdō), which was brought on by financial issues.

[10] He was also a student of Dutch studies (rangaku) scholar Hiraga Gennai, who he had invited up to Akita to advise him on management of the domain's copper mines.

[7] Though no Satake lord ever held the office of shōgun, the clan (together with many of the other domains of northern Honshū) assisted the shogunate in policing the frontier region of Ezochi (now Hokkaido).

[13] After the restoration of imperial rule in late 1867, the Boshin War broke out in early 1868, pitting the coalition of southern domains against the forces of the former Tokugawa shogunate.

[22] The Satake then backed out of the alliance and supported the imperial army; eleven days later, on September 1, 1868[23] the Tsugaru clan of the neighboring Hirosaki domain followed suit.

[27] In mid-1869, the imperial government rewarded the service rendered by the main line of the Satake clan, by raising its income by 20,000 koku.

[citation needed] In the Meiji era, Satake Yoshitaka was ennobled with the title of marquess (kōshaku).

[citation needed] Yoshitaka's son Yoshinao served in the Imperial Japanese Army, and fought in the Satsuma Rebellion.