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George Washington's War on Native America (Native America: Yesterday and Today)
Barbara Alice Mann
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0275981770 |
Book Description
The Revolutionary War is ordinarily presented as a conflict exclusively between colonists and the British, fought along the northern Atlantic seacoast. This important work recounts the tragic events on the forgotten Western front of the American Revolution--a war fought against and ultimately won by Native America. The Natives, primarily the Iroquois League and the Ohio Union, are erroneously presented in history texts as "allies" (or lackeys) of the British, but Native America was working from its own internally generated agenda: to prevent settlers from invading the Old Northwest. Native America won the war in the West, holding the land west and north of the Allegheny-Ohio River systems. While the British may have awarded these lands to the colonists in the Treaty of Paris, the Native Americans did not concur. Throughout the war, the unwavering goal of the Revolutionary Army, under George Washington, and their associated settler militias was to break the power of the Iroquois League, which had successfully held off invasion for the preceding two centuries, and the newly formed Ohio Union. To destroy the Natives in the way of land seizure, Washington authorized a series of rampages intended to destroy the League and the Union by starvation. Food, livestock, homes, and trees were destroyed, first in the New York breadbaskets, then in the Ohio granaries--spreading famine across Native lands. Uncounted thousands of Natives perished from New York to Pennsylvania to Ohio. This book tells how, in the wake of the massive assaults, the Natives held back the American onslaught.
Book Description
In 1761, at a boarding school in New England, a young Mohawk Indian named Joseph Brant first met Samuel Kirkland, the son of a colonial clergyman. They began a long and intense relationship that would redefine North America. For nearly fifty years, their lives intertwined, at first as close friends but later as bitter foes. Kirkland served American expansion as a missionary and agent, promoting Indian conversion and dispossession. Brant pursued an alternative future for the continent by defending an Indian borderland nestled between the British in Canada and the Americans, rather than divided by them.
By telling their dramatic story, Alan Taylor illuminates the dual borders that consolidated the new American nation after the Revolution. By constricting Indians within reservation lines, the Americans sought to control their northern boundary with the British Empire, which lingered in Canada. The border became firm as thousands of settlers established farms, held as private property, all around the new reservations. This struggle also pitted the federal government against the leaders of New York, competing to control the lands and the Indians of the border country. They contended for the highest of stakes because the transformation of Indian land constructed the wealth and the power of states, nations, and empires in North America.
In addition to land, the frontier contest pivoted on murders, which repeatedly tested who had legal jurisdiction: Indians or newcomers. To assert power, the contending regimes sought to try and execute Indians or settlers who killed one another. To defend native autonomy, however, the Indians asserted an alternative by “covering the graves” of victims with presents to console their kin. When the gallows replaced covered graves, the Indians lost their middle position as free peoples.
Taylor breaks with the stereotype of Indians as defiant but doomed traditionalists, as noble but futile defenders of ancient ways. In fact, the borderland Indians demonstrated remarkable adaptability and creativity in coping with the contending powers and with the growing numbers of invading settlers. Led by Joseph Brant, the natives tried to manage, rather than entirely to block, the process of settlement. Taylor shows that they did so in ways meant to preserve Indian autonomy and prosperity. Rather than sell lands for a song to governments, the Indians sought greater control and revenue by leasing lands directly to settler tenants. But neither the British nor the American leaders could accept Indians as landlords, as competitors in the construction of power from land in North America. Once a “middle ground,” the borderland became a divided ground, partitioned between the British Empire and the American republic.
Customer Reviews:
A very forthright view of the Native American and their treatment .......2007-02-16
Without being "preachy" or trying to be "politically correct" this account of the native American and their plight against the early settlers in North America is an eye opener. Very well written without the "pretext" of trying to explain it away, the author descibes a people desparately trying to save their culture against the "inevitable" being betrayed every step of the way. "Food for thought" for the 21st Century and the meaning of nationhood.
Detailed, and thus slow going.......2006-10-27
Taylor has done his homework here, and when one reads this book it is obvious he knows his stuff. This is a detailed look at Indian relations with settlers in the post Revol War NY world, as well as a look at relations between Americans and the British in Canada, and between Americans as well. Unfort., Taylor has fallen into the trap (assisted by an editor) of not knowing what to leave OUT of his story. No pun intended, but there are far too many trees described to the point that it takes too long to see the forest. This is especially true in the first half of the book, in which he seems to give us EVERY scrap he could find about indian land leases and coalitions of settlers to try to get the land from the Indians by any means necessary. This has the effect of making for very tedious reading, as do the descriptions of negotiations between whites and Indians. The book is 400 pp long, so eliminating much of this dry, plodding text would have been a great service to the reader, without sacrificing Taylor's objective of telling a story.
One of the Best Studies on the topic of Land Use and colonial power.......2006-09-30
Dr. Taylor's careful study of the encroaching Indian plight in Eastern North America through 1810. This is a highly detailed study demonstrating
considerable skill and a balanced narrative; never losing sight of its subject. Moreover, the study amplifies how intelligent the Indians were and how poorly they were used by the colonial powers. I know of no other book that covers this period so throughly and competently. I recommend Prof. Taylor's earlier work on 'William Cooper's Town' as an excellent precursor to The Devided Land.
Dr. Douglas E. Mapou, PhD-Anthropology
Excellent Research/Less than Coherent Whole.......2006-08-05
This book compiles a large amount of research on the topic of Iroquois-American relations. It emphasizes the gradual loss of Indian lands to Speculators, New York, the US, and British Canada. Unfortunately, it does not always tell a coherent story. For example, I thought the Brant-Kirkland relationship did not form a useful thread through the book as promised early on. It seems almost an editor's shot at repackaging. The book succeeds amazingly at blending personal human detail with the big picture. But too many people, roles, and details burden the reader. I could have really used an index of people with short bios to avoid paging back and forth. The bumpy chonological order also contributes to a ponderous read. The book offers a very rich view at the North American political scene 1783 to 1805, but it's clearly more academic than general interest.
A kaleidoscope of characters and conflicts.......2006-07-10
I was intrigued when I saw historian Alan Taylor on BookTV talking about his newest book, "The Divided Ground." Massive in scope, filled with fascinating characters and decades of conflict, Taylor's book is a compelling account of the years surrounding the American Revolution. It makes a good companion volume to Nathaniel Philbrick's "Mayflower," which I had just finished.
Taylor follows the lives of two contemporary figures, an Indian named Joseph Brant and a white evangelical minister called Samuel Kirkland, who were schoolmates in early life. He paints with a broad brush, and dozens of other people appear in these pages, accompanied by his succinct descriptions of who they were and what they did.
The reader will gain a much deeper understanding of the inevitable conflicts over land, and over boundaries once the Revolution had established a new country which bordered a British territory to the north and west. Also figuring prominently into the mix are the diametrically opposed attitudes of the native American tribes and the frontier farmer settlers toward the uses of land, the concept of private property, and even work/gender roles.
This book will take you into that distant time and open your eyes to its rich complexity. Highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......1998-12-15
The best book you can buy detailing the Iroquois role in the American Revolution. Very detailed, very well written. Covers all the major chiefs, politions and how the Iroquois played one side against the other, eventually leading to the tribal split which would doom the greatest indian civilization in North America.
Book Description
Under orders from General Washington, Elizabeth and Tess return to Boston to continue spying on the British while Carleton journeys to the Pennsylvania frontier to negotiate with the Indian tribes.
Customer Reviews:
Just as good as the first one!.......2006-06-06
Native Son is the second book in author J.M. Hochstetler's The American Patriot Series, and is every bit as magnificently composed as the first. Picking up where Daughter of Liberty left off, Native Son reprises the suspenseful setting and believable characters of book one and indelibly seals the heart of the reader to the author's work.
With Patriot's identity exposed and a huge price on his head, he is no longer of any use to the Revolutionaries as a spy--but his previous experience living with a tribe of Native Americans qualifies him for an even more dangerous assignment. Oriole, however, has not yet been exposed and therefore must remain behind to continue gathering intelligence for General Washington and his troops. The intertwining of these two stories keeps readers riveted to their seats from the first page to the last--and anxiously awaiting book three.
intriguing sequel.......2006-01-17
J. M. Hochstetler's second book in the American Patriot Series, Native Son, draws readers into the compelling first chapter. Brigadier General Jonathan Carleton meets with George Washington to discuss the patriot troops' readiness for war against trained British soldiers.
Meanwhile, doctor's assistant Elizabeth Howard ties down a wounded man and helps the doctor amputate the man's gangrenous leg to save his life. As a patriot spy working in a Tory hospital, Elizabeth faces constant danger of discovery.
Although Jonathan and Elizabeth determine to marry at the earliest opportunity, circumstances and General Washington's orders conspire to separate them. Carleton heads into Indian Territory, while Elizabeth stays behind. They believe God has inspired their commitment to the Patriot cause, but as the separation stretches to months, each struggles with how it will affect their relationship.
When Carleton's negotiations with several Indian tribes turn sour, the Mohawks take him prisoner. Elizabeth wonders at Carleton's fate as time passes with no word from him. As she continues her work, one of the men helping her discovers her true role and threatens to expose her as a spy. Faced with danger at every turn, both Elizabeth and Carleton draw strength from the God they trust. But will it be enough as the pressures they face slowly change each of them and each continues to wonder about the fate of the other?
Native Son holds as much historical detail as the first book in the series, Daughter of Liberty. However, Hochstetler's clear writing and obvious research make both books intriguing reads. The detail in the medical scenes is exquisite and gave me an eye-opening understanding of Revolutionary War-era amputation and medical care. Fascinating details also enhance the scenes in which the Mohawks hold Carleton prisoner and in later scenes when he lives with the Delaware Indians.
Although Carleton and Elizabeth spend most of the book separated by many miles and different cultures, the strength of both characters easily carries the book. For fans of historicals, this series is a must. Watch for Hochstetler's third book in the American Patriot series.
An intensely moving story.......2005-12-30
Native Son, the second book of The American Patriot Series by J.M. Hochstetler, continues the saga of Brigadier General Jonathan Carleton and the woman who has stolen his heart, Elizabeth Howard. Each has pledged allegiance to General George Washington. Elizabeth's spy mission sends her gathering information among the Loyalists, while Jonathan's orders send him deep into Indian territory. When Elizabeth learns Jonathan has been captured by the Indians, she tries desperately to gain information about the man she loves. Unable to learn of Jonathan's fate, she is forced to continue life with the uncertainty of whether or not he yet lives. Jonathan's life changes drastically when he becomes a slave to the tribe that captured him. He must make decisions that put him in battle against the people to whom he has pledged his allegiance.
Hochstetler examines a little-known aspect of the Revolution by following the hero Jon to the West. People think of the Revolution being fought in Boston and along the East Coast, but there was trouble in the West, too, with the English, the Indians, and the settlers. Hochstetler lets us see that part of the war through Jon's eyes. Again the reader finds the war-tossed couple, Brigadier General Jonathon Carleton and spy Elizabeth Howard, separated by choice for the good of the new country and your heart breaks at the sacrifices these two make for the ultimate good of many. After Jonathon is sent to Indian territory, Elizabeth ends up in Boston. With wars of all levels--spiritual, emotional, and physical-- pressing on them, we feel the anguish they must endure. Rumors circulate and both characters must pretend they care nothing for the other. The story is set in 1775, and the reader is immediately folded into the setting, riding along enjoying every bump and bruise. Even when Carleton is captured, the reader hopes all will be well, although chances are pretty much against that.
Elizabeth and Jonathan, the star crossed lovers in the previous book Daughter of Liberty, have the perfect conflict: the American patriot and the British officer. Now they are being kept apart as Elizabeth is pressed back into service as a spy for General Washington. Elizabeth is the perfect society lady, listening in on secrets in Boston, occupied by the British. Her hair-raising exploits sneaking secrets past the ruthless British blockade are the best part of the book. Jonathan, who has a price on his head, can trust no one. He goes West where he was reared and meets the Indians- not all of them friendly- he knew as a child. So wedding plans are put aside while each sets out to carry out the mission Washington has assigned them. As the months pass in silence, Beth wonders if he is even alive. Should she begin to consider a life without him? And as Jonathan is taken farther and farther away from Beth, he fears he will never see her again. How can he go back to her while the war still rages? The British want him dead, and his new life with the Indians has even made him an enemy of his own countrymen. Is their Christian faith and trust in God strong enough to see them through?
Native Son is an intensely moving story, impeccably researched and excellently written. It is an intricate look into some aspects of the birth of our nation, and the struggles and temptations faced by two unforgettable characters. J. M. Hochstetler expertly weaves a tale of historical fiction with a romance that must survive the trials and dangers of the times. Outstanding! -- Erika Osborn, Christian Book Previews.com
Great sequel to Daughter of Liberty.......2005-11-24
I read Daughter of Liberty a year ago and thought J. M. Hochstetler brought American history to life in that book. I hoped at the time she'd write a novel about every major battle in the American Revolution. I got my wish in Native Son, but not quite the way I expected.
I'd heard of the battles of Lexington and Concord, though I knew precious little about them. In Native Son, Hochstetler examines a little known aspect of the Revolution by follow our hero Jon to the west. We think of the Revolution being fought in Boston and along the east coast, but there was trouble in the west too, with the English, the Indians, and the settlers. Hochstetler lets us see that part of the war through Jon's eyes.
Elizabeth and Jonathan, the star crossed lovers in Daughter of Liberty, had the perfect conflict, the American patriot and the British officer. Now they are being kept apart as Elizabeth is pressed back into service as a spy for General Washington. Elizabeth is the perfect society lady, listening in on secrets in Boston, occupied by the British. Her hair raising exploits sneaking secrets past the ruthless British blockade are the best part of the book.
Jonathan, now with a price on his head, can trust no one. He goes to the west where he was raised and meets the Indians-not all of them friendly-he knew as a child.
Hochstetler introduced me to a fascinating aspect of the revolution here and I'd say more except I don't want to give away too much of the first book. If you haven't read that book, I highly recommend you read the series in order.
I loved the glimpse into the lives of George Washington as he built his guerrilla forces into a fighting army, and the names and actions of the factual British Generals, intermixed with the fictionalized daring of our heroes.
Fiction like this is a great, fun way to teach history.
Birth of a Nation - History Comes Alive.......2005-09-26
Book two in The American Patriot Series, Native Son lives up to its expectations. In the weeks following the battle of Breed's Hill, Elizabeth Howard is preparing for her marriage to the dashing Jonathan Carleton. But their future together is in doubt when General George Washington summons them both to a private meeting.
The American struggle for freedom has just begun and both Beth and Jonathan are fully committed to doing their part in the war for independence from British tyranny. Beth's part is a pretext of Tory sympathizer while in truth she is a resourceful and valuable spy for Washington and the Patriot cause. Jonathan, once a British officer and now a General himself directly under Washington, and with a price on his head, has skills that will send him far away from Boston and Beth. It will also remove him from the risk of capture and certain death at the hands of the British.
So their wedding plans are put aside while each set out to carry out the mission Washington has assigned each of them. Beth's is to continue with her role in Boston, and ultimately New York Loyalist society, to learn what she can of the plans of the British. Jonathan is sent first to Fort Ticonderoga, and from there to enlist the support of the Indian tribes for the American cause, or at the very least persuade them to remain neutral and not aid the British. But he falls into the hands of a hostile tribe and that is the last Beth hears of him.
As the months pass in silence, Beth wonders if he is even alive. Should she begin to consider a life without him? And as Jonathan is taken farther and farther away from Beth he fears he will never see her again. How can he go back to her while the war still rages? The British want him dead, and his new life with the Indians has even made him an enemy of his own countrymen. Is their Christian faith and trust in God strong enough to see them through?
Native Son is an intensely moving story, impeccably researched and excellently written. It is an intricate look into some aspects of the birth of our nation and the struggles and temptations faced by two unforgettable characters. J. M. Hochstetler expertly weaves a tale of historical fiction with a romance that must survive the trials and dangers of the times.
While there are references to events and personalities introduced in Daughter of Liberty, book one in the series, Native Son easily stands alone. Nevertheless, I think you would enjoy it more thoroughly if you read Daughter of Liberty first. Either way, this is a must read. Well done!
Peggy Phifer ©2005
Book Description
An authentic, eyewitness account by a Seneca warchief of the American Revolution. Chainbreaker's (European-Americans called him Blacksnake or Governor Blaacksnake)war path led him to some of the bloodiest encouters on the New York and Pennsylvania frontiers, including the desperate hand-to-hand battle at Oriskany. At war's close, Chainbreaker met former adversary George Washington for treaty negoitiations and became an emissary for peace to western Indian nations.
Book Description
How Native Americans contributed to the early American Republic and its Constitution.
Customer Reviews:
No basis in real fact.......2006-05-25
It sounds really nice . . . but to support the claims this book makes one needs to have solid, historical records for it. There are no such records, at all. There is a lingering claim that the preamble to the Constitution, beginning with the words "We the People . . ." is derived from a chant used to open the old meetings of the Iroqouis confederacy. If so, the words would have been changed greatly to to something that fits the United States; which is what is in the Constitution.
The laws and structure of the US Constitution come from Baron de Montesquieu's book The Spirit of Laws. The philosophical spirit of the Declaration of Independence, which is inherent throughout the Constitution, (especially in the Bill of Rights) comes from John Locke. Both of these contributions from the Europe of the Enlightenment are long-acknowledeged facts; it has the memoirs and records of people like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton to support it, and is supported by any constitutional scholar or expert one might care to talk with. Also, if one knows the real history, and knows that people like Jefferson where initially opposed to the US Constitution, because they feared a powerful Federal government that would result, then they should realize that this could not have come from the Iroquois, as they had only a very loose and informal agreement of tribal cooperation, between different bands who were united only by proximity and common Amerind language, and themselves probably would have been put off by the Federal system which the constitution created, just as the anti-Federalists like Jefferson were. If anything, the Articles of Confederation, which the Constitution replaced, would have born much greater resemblance to any Amerind system of union.
Once all the facts have been counted in the inventory, then this notion appears to be very silly, and it is laughed at today by the vast majorty of historians, (the one who practice 'solid' history, anyway) and those who support it only have Johanson's flimsy, preciously stated arugument to follow, and have not looked into the issue in an empirical manner.
A must read for all Americans.......2003-06-11
This is an amazing book! I stumbled across it while looking into the "silly rumor" that the US Constitution was based on Native-American beliefs.
This book tells a factual, fast-paced story about how the Founding Fathers (Franklin, Jefferson, et al) were influenced by the Native-Americans. I am still in awe. Every American needs to hear this story. It makes me wonder what else was I wasn't taught in school.
If you have any interest in US history, government, or philosophy--read this book.
From the foundations of truth, start to build yours.......2003-02-26
This is one of my favorite books whose foundations in principles surpass even the Egyptians principles that are falsely accredited to Greek so-called philosophers that plagiarized this sacred knowledge.
In search of "Liberty".......2000-03-22
While researching a tretise on the American concept of "Liberty" I came across this book. It is well written and provides and easy going but eye opening view of the native american contribution to this basic American concept. Although much of the mainstream literature in political theory and moral philosophy leads to European sources this little gem is equal to all.
Outstanding book. Essential reading for all Americans.......1999-10-15
I read this book with awe. It is carefully researched with rich archival and primary sources. It is well written and filled with insightful observations in every chapter. It is necessary read for all Americans, in fact all who care about government. If you feel that something special happened on this continent, but are not sure about the details of what took place, this book will reinforce the ideal that democracy as an institution came from America. Europeans had no idea how a government by the people could possibly succeed. The native Americans long experimented with a form of representative government that was grassroots, not top down as practiced in Europe. The framers of the constitution fully appreciated the form of government practiced by the native Americans incorporated those ideals into the founding documents of our nation. This book will fill a gap in education and make you proud of practicing a form of government that originated with the native people of America. It is a spirit of government that at its best is the ideal of all the common people of the earth. To remain free of tyranny, each generation of citizens needs to relearn the founding principles of our form of government. This is an extraordinary starting point.
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