The Indians' New World: Catawbas and Their Neighbors from European Contact Through the Era of Removal

James Merrell's The Indians' New World, winner of the 1990 Bancroft Prize, is one of those rare books that can satisfy both the interest of historians and the general public. It is written with detail and clarity, telling a story that is fascinating and tragic. Merrell looks in depth at the Catawba tribe in colonial and post-independence South Carolina. His work sits broadly within the new stream of books about Native Americans - emphasizing both the injuries they suffered and their numerous adaptations to changed conditions after the arrival of the Europeans. His account does a fine job of both recognizing the choices made by the Catawbas and emphasizing the magnitude of the many calamities they suffered. The reader gets a very clear sense of just how violent the world of the Catawbas was - one major challenge they faced was raids by the Iroquois. Merrell deals subtly with their decision to ally with the colonists - showing both the benefits and costs of this choice. A poignant final chapter and epilogue charts what befell them after independence - the Catawbas retained their reservation until 1840, making them something of an exception. When thinking about the Native American experience, most Americans think primarily of the tribes of the west. Merrell's book does much to show us the experiences of Indians in the east of the country. As a meticulously researched, well written account, it has a lot to recommend it. Both experts and newcomers to Native American history will deeply enjoy this book.