Brimming with quotes from original source documents, this young adult series explores the complex relations between Native Americans and non-Indians from the arrival of Columbus to the present day. All titles make clear the importance of Native Americans to this country's past and its present.Dramatic Narratives Compose a Compelling Reference
By weaving passages from original documents into dramatic narratives, each title in the series creates a remarkably vivid portrait of specific aspects of American Indian heritage and history. The series provides the kind of valuable information too frequently left out of textbooks and general histories. Each practical reference is enhanced by carefully chosen historical drawings, photographs, and maps; an up-to-date bibliography and further reading list; and a complete index.
A Wealth of Learning Aids and Features Enriches the Study of Native American History -- Lively narrative and lucid visuals explore Native Americans' roles in the country's development and history. -- Special boxed features highlight crucial topics and the roles of significant individuals. -- Coverage of twentieth-century issues and events reveals that Native American culture is as much a part of America's present as the past. -- A must for the study of American history: the in-depth coverage fosters an appreciation for cultural diversity.
"Children cry and many men cry, and all look sad like when friends die, but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep on go west." This vivid, disturbing account is one of the many compelling descriptions found in this history of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. An abundance of excerpts from original source documentsand first-person narratives reveal the thoughts, actions, and feelings of both those of the Cherokee Nation and of the U.S. government during the forced exile of the Cherokee from their homeland.
Summary: The Cherokee Nation occupied land that is now North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. Treaties were created between Whites and the Cherokee to continue to have peace in the land. With the discovery of gold on the land in Georgia, measures were taken to remove Indians from their ancestral home to make way for white settlement. This book gives a detailed account of the activities that led up to the creation of the Indian Removal Act and the Cherokee march on the Trail of Tears.
Personal Response: It is always a treat to learn a little more about my home state. In the beginning it was slightly boring, but once you make it to the actual beginning of the event, it picks up a bit more. The text contains firsthand accounts by Natives that were tricked or run off of their properties. You see the tactics that Whites used to force Indians off of their land. The excerpts coincide with the original text of the book and give the reader a pleasant break from the book text. Sometimes the information is overwhelming and it is great to read about Sequoyah and Nancy Ward, who were revered among their people. I learned that the Cherokee nation was a lot bigger than what I thought it was. In Georgia schools, you are only taught about the Cherokees of Georgia, and once you read this book and look at the map, you realize that there was a lot more to this nation.
Evaluative Critique: Accurate information is presented. There are photos of different locations and homes of key figures in the Cherokee Nation. A bibliography or note section is available at the end of every chapter. The facts are given about the events leading up to the Indian Removal Act. The book follows the event from the first encounter with Whites from the British Empire to the Trail of Tears, giving the reader a background for the reason for certain Treaties. The Cherokee are not stereotyped and neither are the Whites. There are Whites that are supporters of Indian Rights such as John Quincy Adams and John Payne. The Natives are depicted as strong, reasonable people that care deeply for their fellow tribesmen but there are also those that are presented that were greedy and made shady and bad deals. Tribesmen such as John Ridge, Ben Currey and Elias Boudinot were a part of the pro-removal delegation whose willingness to sign over Cherokee land, meant that their estates were excluded from sell. The book gives a balance of the good and the bad within and around the Cherokee Nation.