Surviving Genocide: Native Nations and the United States from the American Revolution to Bleeding Kansas

Surviving Genocide examines the relationship between Native American nations and the United States from 1776 to the 1850s. Author Jeffrey Ostler chronicles the systematic efforts to remove and eliminate Indigenous peoples through military campaigns, forced relocations, and policies designed to destroy their way of life. The book focuses on specific regions and time periods, documenting encounters between Native nations and U.S. forces across the Ohio Valley, Southeast, and Great Plains. Through extensive research and primary sources, Ostler presents the perspectives of Indigenous leaders and communities as they faced mounting pressures from American expansion. The narrative traces the development of federal Indian policy alongside the lived experiences of Native peoples confronting invasion, disease, and displacement. The text examines how tribes maintained their sovereignty and cultural practices while adapting strategies for survival. This work challenges conventional interpretations of early American history by placing Indigenous experiences at the center of the national story. The book illuminates patterns of settler colonialism and resistance that shaped relations between Native nations and the United States for generations.

Readers emphasize the book's thorough documentation of U.S. government policies and military actions against Native Americans. Many note its focus on primary sources and official records rather than relying on previous historical accounts. Liked: - Clear presentation of complex historical events - Integration of Native perspectives and oral histories - Detailed maps and population data - Analysis of government documents showing premeditated actions Disliked: - Dense academic writing style that some found difficult to follow - Limited coverage of certain tribes and regions - High level of detail can overwhelm casual readers - Some felt the scope was too broad for one volume Ratings: Goodreads: 4.45/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (32 ratings) Notable reader comment: "Finally a historian who calls genocide what it is and meticulously proves it through government documents." - Goodreads reviewer Common critique: "The academic tone makes important information less accessible to general readers." - Amazon reviewer

The Other Slavery by Andrés Reséndez This history documents the enslavement of Native Americans from the time of Columbus through the nineteenth century, revealing a system that ran parallel to African American slavery.

Murder State by Brendan Lindsay The book examines California's organized destruction of Native peoples under U.S. rule, including state-sponsored killing, slavery, and other forms of violence between 1846 and 1873.

An American Genocide by Benjamin Madley This research chronicles the state-sponsored mass murder of California Indians between 1846 and 1873, using records to document the killing of tens of thousands of Native people.

Clearing a Path by Nancy Shoemaker This collection assembles Native American perspectives on early encounters with European settlers and the resulting negotiations, wars, and treaties that shaped colonial America.

Blood and Land by J.C.H. King The text provides a comprehensive history of Native North America from pre-colonial times to the present, focusing on indigenous peoples' relationships to their lands and territories.

🔹 Jeffrey Ostler spent over a decade researching and writing this book, examining thousands of primary sources including military records, government documents, and Native American accounts. 🔹 The book challenges the common narrative that Native American population decline was primarily due to disease, revealing how U.S. military strategies deliberately targeted food supplies and winter camps. 🔹 The term "genocide" wasn't coined until 1944 by Raphael Lemkin, decades after many of the events described in the book, but Ostler applies the UN's genocide convention criteria to analyze historical events. 🔹 The author demonstrates that Native Americans actively developed sophisticated defensive strategies against American expansion, including diplomatic alliances, military adaptations, and innovative food storage methods. 🔹 The book is the first of a two-volume series, with the second volume covering the period from the Civil War through the Wounded Knee Massacre and into the twentieth century.