Description
Book SynopsisWith deep research and lively prose, prize-winning historian Christina Snyder reinterprets the history of Jacksonian era America through an experimental educational community called Great Crossings, a place where Indians, settlers, and slaves were transformed and tried to secure their place in a changing world.
Trade ReviewIn drawing our attention to these protagonists and to their complicated histories, Snyder has produced a work of importance to scholars of American history as well as of comparative Indigenous histories more generally. Great Crossings is a nuanced text ... This compelling work is, at its heart, a story about the conditions of liberty and citizenship that prevail over and through diversity within an imperial state. * Ben Silverstein, Australasian Journal of American History *
Great Crossings warrants attention from a wide multidisciplinary readership. From the short-lived experiment at Choctaw Academy, Snyder o?ers new insight into race, class, slavery, education, and other aspects of antebellum American society. She even shares a foreshadowing glimpse into what would become the United States' Indian boarding-school system later in the century. This book, moreover, contributes plenty to our understanding of how integral and intricate Indigenous experiences have been throughout American history. * Daniel Usner, Native American and Indigenous Studies *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The Great Path? 1. Warriors 2. A Family at the Crossing 3. Scholars 4. Indian Gentlemen and Black Ladies 5. Rise of the Leviathan 6. The Land of Death 7. Rebirth of the Spartans 8. The Vice President and the Runaway Lovers 9. Dr. Nail's Rebellion 10. The New Superintendent 11. Orphans among Strangers 12. Indian Schools for Indian Territory Conclusion: Paths to the Future Notes Index
