Lincoln and Native Americans Contributor(s): Green, Michael S. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0809338254 ISBN-13: 9780809338252 Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press OUR PRICE: $24.70 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: September 2021 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Native American - History | United States - 19th Century - Biography & Autobiography | Presidents & Heads Of State |
Dewey: 973.709 |
LCCN: 2020042295 |
Physical Information: 0.79" H x 5.04" W x 8.11" (0.70 lbs) 176 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: First exploration of Lincoln's relationship with the Native population in more than four decades Although ignorant of Native customs, Lincoln revealed none of the hatred or single-minded opposition to Native culture that animated other leaders and some of his own political and military officials. Lincoln did far too little to ease the problems afflicting Indigenous people at the time, but he also expressed more sympathy for their situation than most other politicians of the day. Still, he was not what those who wanted legitimate improvements in the lives of Native Americans would have liked him to be. At best, Lincoln's record is mixed. He served in the Black Hawk War against tribes who were combating white encroachment. Later he supported policies that exacerbated the situation. Finally, he led the United States in a war that culminated in expanding white settlement. Although as president, Lincoln paid less attention to Native Americans than he did to African Americans and the Civil War, the Indigenous population received considerably more attention from him than previous historians have revealed. In addition to focusing on Lincoln's personal and familial experiences, such as the death of his paternal grandfather at the hands of Indians, Green enhances our understanding of federal policies toward Native Americans before and during the Civil War and how Lincoln's decisions affected what came after the war. His patronage appointments shaped Indian affairs, and his plans for the West would also have vast consequences. Green weighs Lincoln's impact on the lives of Native Americans and imagines what might have happened if Lincoln had lived past the war's end. More than any many other historians, Green delves into Lincoln's racial views about people of color who were not African American. |