Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on a vast array of primary and secondary sources, Roger L. Nichols traces the changing relationships between Native peoples and whites in the United States and Canada from colonial times to the present.Dividing this history into five stages, beginning with Native supremacy over European settlers and concluding with Native peoples’ political, economic, and cultural resurgence, Nichols carefully compares and contrasts the effects of each stage on Native populations in the United States and Canada.
This second edition includes new chapters on major transformations from 1945 to the present, focusing on social issues such as transracial adoption of Native children, the uses of national and international media to gain public awareness, and demands for increasing respect for tribal religious practices, burial sites, and historic and funerary remains.
Trade Review“A watershed study. . . . There is certainly no better place to begin and continue the comparison of the United States and Canada.”—Tony Gulig,
Canadian Journal of History“The range of Nichols’s book is impressive and conveys an excellent overview of the changing position of Native peoples in American and Canadian history. It will appeal to both the specialist and the novice.”—
Historical Journal of Massachusetts“Balanced and objective and a trustworthy point of departure for anyone curious about the subject. This will be a standard reference work for years to come.”—William T. Hagan,
American Indian Libraries Newsletter“Writing within the framework of the two nations and their growth, Nichols nonetheless sees events as much from the Indian angle as from the white. . . . This is only one of many virtues in this thoughtful, largely successful, and ambitious book.”—Elliot West,
Times Literary Supplement“This overview . . . [gives] students on both sides of the border a cogent reference work as well as a primer on themes of Indian-White relations grounded in the older literature, mixed with the latest revisionism of the New Indian History. . . . This is an earnest and admirable effort to do what no scholar has attempted.”—William R. Swagerty,
Western Historical Quarterly“An insightful comparative history. . . . Nichols formulates a true comparative approach; rather than merely presenting the Canadian story alongside that of the U.S., he effectively integrates the two throughout the work.”—
Choice“Nichols has made a significant contribution to Western hemispheric history and has demonstrated the value of comparative history for the study of multiracial relations at an international level.”—William E. Unrau,
Pacific Northwest Quarterly“A useful and groundbreaking addition to existing works on Native history. Nichols has done an excellent job of bringing together a wealth of sources into a readable account and has taken an important first step in providing a foundation on which other comparative studies can be built.”—Rob Nestor,
American Indian Quarterly“Highly recommended. [Nichols] is able to present complicated regional histories in a readable style.”—Laurie Weinstein,
Ethnic Conflict Research DigestTable of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments for the Second Edition
Introduction
1. Indians Meet the Spanish, French, and Dutch, 1513–1701
2. Indians and English near the Chesapeake, 1570s–1670s
3. Indians and English in New England, 1600–1670s
4. Trade, Diplomacy, Warfare, and Acculturation, 1670s–1750s
5. Striving for Independence, 1750–1790s
6. Old Threats, New Resolve, 1795–1820s
7. Cultural Persistence, Physical Retreat, 1820s–1860s
8. Societies under Siege, 1860s–1890
9. Surviving Marginalization, 1890s–1920
10. Change, Depression, and War, 1920–1945
11. Attacking Native Cultures and Communities, 1940–1970s
12. Indigenous Resources, Rights, and Self-Determination, 1940s–1990s
13. Indians and the Modern State, 1980s–Present
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
