The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities

The title and format (small print, footnotes on every page) of this delightful little book have probably scared away the general reader. That is regretable, for although it is slightly dense (a few too many unfamiliar proper nouns for extreme ease of reading), the book is quite accessible. With a prologue, ten chapters, an epilogue, and an index in just over 300 pages, the individual chapters are relatively brief and crisp. The organizational scheme (focusing 8 of the chapters on particular Indian communities from Maine to Florida) creates a subtle and complex portrait of Native Americans during the Revolutionary Era. Both diversity (of these communities and of their responses to the Revolution) and commonality (of the challenges they faced during the late 18th century) are addressed. Economic factors such as trade & technology, political factors including international relations, and cultural factors including religion & social changes are examined along with tales of many interesting individuals. Not perhaps a book for everyone, but certainly a book for more than just academic readers....