American Indians in the Early West

by Sandra K. Mathews-Benham

Overview

Thousands of years of American Indian history are covered in this work, from the first migrations into North America, through the development of specific tribal identities, to the turbulent first centuries of encounters with European settlers up until 1800.

American Indians in the Early West offers a concise guide to the development of American Indian communities, from the first migrations through the arrival of the Spanish, French, and Russians, to the appearance of Anglo-American traders in the easternmost portions of the West around 1800.

With coverage divided into periods and regions, American Indians in the Early West looks at how Indian communities evolved from hunter-gatherers to culturally recognized tribes, and examines the critical encounters of those tribes with non-Natives over the next two-and-a-half centuries. Readers will see that the issues at stake in those encounters—political control, preserving traditions, land and water rights, resistance to economic and military pressures—are very relevant to the Native American experience today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851098231
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/10/2008
Series:	Cultures in the American West
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Sandra K. Mathews, PhD, is associate professor of history at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE. Her published works include Women's Experiences on the North American Plains.

Editorial Reviews

The main question facing the bibliographer is not whether or not to buy this title, but where they should put it. Because it is text-rich, many selectors will want to add it to the circulating collection, but it also clearly has reference value and will help supplement a student's textbook reading. Since the price is reasonable, libraries serving strong Native American history programs may want to buy two copies.” —ARBA

From the Publisher