Property and Dispossession: Natives, Empires and Land in Early Modern North America

Property and Dispossession examines land ownership systems and property rights in colonial North America during the 16th-18th centuries. The book focuses on three major colonial powers - France, Britain, and Spain - and their interactions with Indigenous peoples across different regions. The text analyzes specific case studies from New France, New England, and New Spain to demonstrate how European and Native American concepts of property clashed and merged. Historical documents, legal records, and maps reveal the complex processes through which colonizers attempted to impose their property regimes while Indigenous peoples maintained their own land-use practices. This comparative study looks at key aspects including land surveys, agricultural methods, religious missions, and legal frameworks for property ownership. Allan Greer traces the development of private property concepts alongside the dispossession of Native American territories. The work challenges conventional narratives about property rights in colonial America by highlighting the diversity of both European and Indigenous approaches to land use. Through its analysis, the book raises fundamental questions about ownership, sovereignty, and the relationship between humans and territory.

Readers note that Greer's detailed research challenges common assumptions about property rights and colonization in North America. Reviews highlight his focus on French, British, and Indigenous approaches to land ownership. Readers appreciated: - Clear comparisons between different colonial systems - Depth of archival research and primary sources - Discussion of Indigenous property concepts - Maps and visual aids Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Limited coverage of Spanish colonization - Price point ($99 hardcover) mentioned as barrier Ratings: Goodreads: 4.14/5 (7 ratings) Amazon: 5/5 (2 ratings) One academic reviewer on H-Net praised the book's "meticulous attention to local contexts" while noting it "requires careful reading." A Goodreads reviewer highlighted how the book "explains why different areas of North America developed such different property regimes." No negative reviews found on major platforms, though discussion board comments suggest some readers found the theoretical sections challenging.

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🌟 Despite popular belief that Native Americans had no concept of property rights, many indigenous peoples had sophisticated systems of land tenure and territorial boundaries before European contact. 🏛️ Allan Greer is a professor at McGill University and has won multiple awards, including the Prix Lionel-Groulx for his work on colonial North American history. 🗺️ The book challenges the traditional narrative of colonization by examining three different imperial systems - French, English, and Spanish - and their distinct approaches to property and land rights. 👥 The Iroquois practiced a form of collective property ownership where women controlled agricultural lands and men controlled hunting territories, demonstrating complex pre-colonial property systems. 📜 The term "property" itself underwent significant transformation during the colonial period, as European legal concepts merged with and often violently displaced indigenous understandings of land relationships.