Jeffrey Ostler Libros

In the first part of this sweeping two-volume history, Ostler investigates how American democracy relied on Indian dispossession and the federally sanctioned use of force to remove or slaughter Indians in the way of U.S. expansion. He charts the losses that Indians suffered from relentless violence and upheaval and the attendant effects of disease, deprivation, and exposure. This volume centers on the eastern United States from the 1750s to the start of the Civil War. Ostler deepens our understanding of the seizure of indigenous lands, including the use of treaties to create the appearance of Native consent to dispossession. He also carefully documents the resilience of Native people, showing how they survived genocide by creating alliances, defending their towns, and rebuilding their communities. --Adapted from publisher description.

Focusing on the colonial theory, the book offers a fresh perspective on the complex dynamics between the Plains Sioux and the United States during the 1800s. It delves into significant events like the Oregon Trail and the lives of iconic figures such as Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, while also exploring lesser-known aspects of Sioux culture and history. By emphasizing Sioux viewpoints, the analysis reveals their adaptive responses to U.S. expansion and the eventual constraints on their autonomy, culminating in a new interpretation of the Wounded Knee massacre.